Have you ever noticed how your eyes are naturally drawn to certain parts of a painting or drawing? 

That’s the magic of emphasis– one of the essential elements of art! Emphasis guides attention to important areas, making artwork visually interesting and meaningful. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the art elements of emphasis, dive into common visual patterns such as ABA, ABBA, and ABC, and provide engaging art activities for each pattern type. 

You’ll learn how these patterns help homeschoolers create emphasis in their artwork, enhancing creativity, learning, and visual understanding of the world around them.

What is Emphasis in Art?

Simply put, emphasis in art is the area in a piece of artwork that catches your attention first. 

Artists highlight these focal points using color, size, contrast, or repeated patterns. 

Patterns, especially repeated visual sequences, are excellent for creating emphasis and directing viewers’ attention exactly where the artist wants it. Artists also use emphasis to convey emotion and create a unique visual experience for each eye.

Understanding how to use emphasis effectively can bring a piece of art to life. 

Some of the techniques that student artists can rely on to create emphasis include:

• Contrast: Using differences in color, size, or shape to make a chosen element stand out. 

• Placement: Positioning an element strategically within a piece of artwork to create a focal point. 

• Texture: Using different textures to create visual interest and focus.

• Size: Making an element intentionally larger or smaller than others to emphasize importance.

• Color: Using vibrant or contrasting colors to attract attention. 

Common Patterns and Their Magic

Patterns appear everywhere in our daily lives, and children especially love to find patterns in the world around them– from the stripes on their clothing and tiles on the floors to rhythms in music and schedules in daily routines.

Recognizing and creating patterns helps us make sense of the world around us.

In art, patterns help organize visual elements to create engaging compositions. 

The three most common patterns used by artists and early learners are:

ABA Pattern

ABA patterns involve two different elements repeated in sequence. 

For example: red-blue-red or circle-square-circle. 

ABA patterns help students recognize repetition and build early foundational skills in logical sequencing and memory retention.

ABBA Pattern

ABBA is a symmetrical pattern that creates balance. 

For example: green-yellow-yellow-green or star-heart-heart-star. 

ABBA patterns introduce students to symmetry and balance, developing spatial reasoning and visual harmony.

ABC Pattern

ABC pattern uses three different elements repeated sequentially.

For example: triangle-circle-square or red-blue-green.

ABC patterns expand cognitive complexity, allowing children to understand sequences with multiple variables and aiding in pattern predictions and problem-solving skills.

Learning how to match and extend patterns, specifically ABA, ABBA, and ABC, helps children understand order and make predictions based on their observations and sequence, which are essential math, reading, and problem-solving skills. 

Two Fun Activities for ABA Patterns

Activities can be modified based on your homeschooler’s learning style and preference. 

1. ABA Color Collage

Materials: Colored paper, glue, scissors

Have your homeschool student cut shapes from colored paper and arrange these shapes in an ABA visual pattern (e.g., blue-red-blue). 

Encourage them to highlight emphasis by placing a brighter, bolder, or larger shape in the collage.  

Advanced version: Encourage older learners to create more intricate shapes and add textured materials, like fabric or textured paper, to emphasize specific parts of the pattern.

2. ABA Beaded Bracelet

Materials: Colored beads, string

Help your student string colored beads into an ABA pattern (e.g., pink-white-pink).  

Choose a unique bead, larger, or sparkling, to create a focal point and demonstrate emphasis.

Advanced version: Older children can create more complex patterns with multiple colors or bead sizes, experimenting with variations to see how emphasis changes.

Two Fun Activities for ABBA Patterns

Activities can be modified based on your homeschooler’s learning style and preference. 

1. ABBA Pasta Patterns

Materials: Dried pasta shapes, paint, paper

Paint pasta pieces different colors. Have your homeschool student arrange the painted pasta into ABBA patterns on paper (e.g., red-blue-blue-red). 

Highlight emphasis by painting one pasta piece gold or silver. 

Advanced version: Older students can create detailed compositions using pasta to form pictures and landscapes while maintaining ABBA patterns throughout.

2. ABBA Sticker Mosaic

Materials: Stickers, paper

Let your student create ABBA symmetrical patterns with stickers (e.g., flower-star-star-flower). 

Emphasize one sticker by making it bigger or shinier to create a clear focal point.

Advanced version: Challenge higher learners to incorporate more intricate sticker designs or blend multiple patterns within the same mosaic, further developing their understanding of visual balance and emphasis.

Two Fun Activities for ABC Patterns

Activities can be modified based on your homeschooler’s learning style and preference. 

1. ABC Shape Patterns

Materials: Colored paper, markers, glue

Have your child draw or cut out three shapes (e.g., circle, triangle, square) and arrange them into an ABC sequence. 

Create emphasis by varying one shape's size or color intensity in each cycle.

Advanced version: Older students can design more complex patterns by varying the shapes and sizes and creating backgrounds.

2. ABC Paint Prints

Materials: Paint, paper, stamps, or items in the box.

Guide your homeschool student to stamp or print paint onto paper in an ABC pattern using different shapes or colors. 

Highlight emphasis by occasionally using a brighter or contrasting color.

Advanced version: Older learners can experiment with overlapping prints, blending colors, and exploring complex pattern formations. 

Why do Patterns and Emphasis Matter?

Practicing patterns supports children's cognitive development by strengthening their skills like recognizing sequences, predicting outcomes, and building logical reasoning abilities.

In other words, it helps children understand what comes next.

When children create and identify patterns, they enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They also learn to make logical connections and use reasoning skills.

Emphasis further boosts cognitive abilities by teaching children to prioritize and focus on significant details visually. These skills extend beyond art, aiding in math, literacy, and overall academic achievement. 

Integrating art activities into your homeschool curriculum makes learning engaging, practical, and memorable, nurturing a well-rounded development for students. 

Ready-to-Go Activities with Outside the Box Creation

If gathering materials feels overwhelming, our Art Boxes offer convenient solutions to introduce emphasis and patterns to your homeschool curriculum. 

Each box contains carefully curated materials and easy-to-follow instructions, simplifying creative homeschooling and enhancing visual learning– keeping your homeschool lessons fresh and exciting!

Start exploring art emphasis and patterns today– your homeschool students will love seeing their creativity and skills develop right before their eyes!