Fig.2: Scale size and proportion, a pen may be made to appear relatively huge.

All visual elements are constituted of what we call as “form”. It is not just the shape that we see, but the shape of definite size, colour and texture which are the visual elements and also the properties of form. Form is positive element we place on any surface, environment, layout etc. as opposed to the negative elements we consider space. Form is the point, line, plane, and volume which are now no more as conceptual because they have been made visible. It is the shape and dots, texts, textures and images we use in a proper way to define a better layout of a design. Everything in our design is the form or space, positive or negative, figure or ground.

To start with forms, we first need to understand what is a form made of or what are the elements which come together to make up a form.

All forms are 3 dimensional. As we know it has length, breath and thickness or width. Although a form has volume other than point, line and plane, form exists in space, but human beings for their essentiality of communication of ideas, recording of experiences, conveyance of artistic visions has derived from 2-dimensional structure (shape) which consist of points, lines, and/or planes of a flat surface. Any spatial attributes especially as defined by outline is known as shape which is 2 dimensional (only Length and width), but our visual experiences of the 3-dimensional world influence our understanding and recognition of 2-dimensional shape. Shape is the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance. Any shape against an empty background appears to be surrounded by a void or empty area. Volume and thickness can be added to a shape to give it the 3-dimensional structure (form) which can also be rotated in space to exhibit different views.