Art Lesson: Form. Form is an element of art. Yet there are several ways to consider the meaning of form. At its most basic, a form is a three-dimensional geometrical figure, such as a sphere, cube, cylinder or cone, as opposed to a shape, which is two-dimensional, or flat. In a broader sense, form, in art, means the whole of a piece's visible elements and the way those elements are united. In this context, form allows viewers to mentally capture the work and understand it. Wyland demonstrates the two interpretations of form through his depiction of a bottlenose dolphin against a water element. He uses Payne's gray with a half inch brush to create the dolphin form with a 3-inch brush to block in the blue water. Highlights and shadows are added to enhance the three-dimensional form.
