A point is a fixed position in space with no direction, length, width or depth. One aspect of a point is that it can serve to dominate its surroundings and all other elements will be organized around it, as can be seen in the picture of a church in Philadelphia, PA, below. In this particular photo of the church, the eye is drawn towards the white flower, the focal point, on the ceiling. This flower represents the primary element, point. See all three images below and the final black and white diagram representing the point.
Photo Source: Rodeph Shalom Church, Philadelphia, PA, http://www.mjra-architects.com/historical-preservation-architecture.html
Line
A line is simply a point that has been extended. It contains length, direction and a position. In the image of the room below, a number of lines can be seen, most prominent is the grid pattern behind the bed, creating a focal point in the room. However, additional lines can be seen around the doors and windows. These are in included in red in the diagram below. The final black and white diagram was created using prominent lines from the original image and adding line weights.
Photo Source: http://www.boston.com/yourlife/home/gallery/1126_transom/
Plane
A plane is a line that has been extended and contains length and width, shape, surface, orientation and position. More than one plane can be seen in the boathouse image below. Because we are not viewing the plane frontally, it appears from our perspective to be foreshortened. If we were to view it straight on, it we would see a perfect square. Planes are used in the boathouse image to create a modern, sleek and somewhat transparent feel to the building itself. The black and white diagram was designed based on the combination of the three planes in the boathouse.
Photo Source: Carbon Challenge Boathouse, http://media.carbonchallenge.net/photos/
Volume
A plane that is extended becomes a volume containing properties such as: length, width, depth, form, space, surface, orientation and position. There are points and lines where the edges meet and surfaces that the define the volume itself. In the image below, the coffee table forms a three dimensional rectangle. The black and white diagram was derived using these lines to show the essence of the table itself.
Photo Source: http://www.nauticalenvironments.com/about/index.html
