Investing in art can be a great way to diversify your portfolio. There are many different styles of art available for purchase around the world today, but few can evoke the type of emotion that abstract art can.

An abstract piece can appear at first glance to be just a jumble of colors, but abstract artists utilize some important artistic elements when creating their works.

Here are four elements that you should be looking for as you evaluate abstract original paintings to add to your collection.

1. Line

The element of line is always present in an abstract painting. The type of line that an artist chooses to use will have a direct impact on the overall feel of the art piece.

Lines can be bold, aggressive, and powerful. Lines can also be subtle, lyrical, and rhythmic. A painting can even contain multiple line styles.

A good abstract painting is one that clearly embodies the element of line to achieve a desired aesthetic.

2. Shape

Shape is a foundational element when it comes to art. While an abstract painting doesn't have clearly defined shapes like other types of paintings do, shape still influences the look of an abstract piece.

You should pay attention not only to the visible shapes created by the artist, but also to the shapes that an artist creates by leaving negative space within an abstract painting. It is the combination of these two types of shapes that help to give abstract art its value.

3. Texture

Abstract art can be created using a wide range of mediums. Each medium lends its own unique texture to the piece.

An artist will use texture to help highlight certain elements within a painting. Texture can also be used to create visual interest and make it easier to differentiate between design elements within an abstract piece.

You want to pay close attention to the amount of texture used when investing in art. Only an abstract painting with the proper use of texture will retain its value over time.

4. Value

Value refers to the saturation of color within an art piece. Abstract paintings tend to be more lively and bold than images created in other styles of art.

Colors that are more vibrant and saturated help an abstract design achieve a greater level of definition.

Pay close attention to the various color hues within a painting before you invest in abstract art so that you end up purchasing a painting with good value.

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