Principles of Design

Scale Unity Balance Direction Emphasis overall size repetition > rhythm > pattern > unity equalizing the visual weight of elements visual path focal point Proportion relative size within the work

Unity-Variety. Repetition of visual elements such as shapes or colors create a rhythm and pattern in an artwork - creating a sense of harmony and unity that pulls the picture together. Direction and Emphasis. Direction is the visual path our eye will follow. Emphasis refers to the object or element which first catches our attention.

Space: Indicators of depth on a flat surface Overlapping Diminishing scale Atmospheric perspective Vertical placement Color (warm/cool, intensity) Diagonals Linear perspective
Overlapping - when objects partially overlap other objects, we perceive them as closer than the covered objects. Overlapping "overrules" the other indicators of depth. Overlapping most clearly establishes proximity. Atmospheric perspective - close objects have greater intensity of color, detail and value contrast. Color - we perceive warm colors (red, orange and yellow) as closer than cool colors (green, blue, violet). Diagonals and Linear perspective - we perceive diagonal lines as receding into the distance. The diagonal lines create a extraordinary sense of depth.

Shape Shape: When a line crosses itself or intersects with other lines to enclose a space it creates a shape. Shape is two-dimensional it has heights and width but no depth. Categories of Shapes: Geometric Shapes-Circles, Squares, rectangles and triangles. We see them in architecture and manufactured items. Organic Shapes-Leaf, seashells, flowers. We see them in nature and with characteristics that are free flowing, informal and irregular. Positive Shapes-In a drawing or painting positive shapes are the solid forms in a design such as a bowl of fruit. In a sculpture it is the solid form of the sculpture. Negative Shapes-In a drawing it is the space around the positive shape or the shape around the bowl of fruit. In sculpture it is the empty shape around and between the sculptures. Static Shape-Shapes that appears stable and resting. Dynamic Shape-Shapes that appears moving and active. Line: An element of art that is used to define shape, contours, and outlines, also to suggest mass and volume. It may be a continuous mark made on a surface with a pointed tool or implied by the edges of shapes and forms. Characteristic of Line are: Width- thick, thin, tapering, uneven Length - long, short, continuous, broken Direction- horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curving, perpendicular, oblique, parallel, radial, zigzag Focus- sharp, blurry, fuzzy, choppy Feeling- sharp, jagged, graceful, smooth Types of Line: 1. Outlines- Lines made by the edge of an object or its silhouette. 2. Contour Lines- Lines that describe the shape of an object and the interior detail. 3. Gesture Lines- Line that are energetic and catches the movement and gestures of an active figure. 4. Sketch Lines- Lines that captures the appearance of an object or impression of a place. 5. Calligraphic Lines- Precise, elegant handwriting or lettering done by hand. 6. Implied Line- Lines that are not actually drawn but created by a group of objects seen from a distance. The direction an object is pointing to, or the direction a person is looking at.

Space Space is the three-dimensionality of architecture. With an architecture you can walk around them, look above them, and enter them, this refers to the space of the sculpture or architecture. A three-dimensional object will have height, width, and depth. Space in a two-dimensional drawing or painting refers to the arrangement of objects on the picture plane. The picture plane is the surface of your drawing paper or canvas. You can have a picture plane that is a crowded space with lots of objects or an empty space with very few objects in the picture plane. A two-dimensional piece of art has heights and width but no depth. The illusion of depth can be achieved by using perspective. This is the technique used to have your picture look likes it is moving to the distance like a landscape or cityscape. Categories of Space Positive space-Like in positive shape it is the actual sculpture or building. Negative space-Also like negative shape it is the space around the sculpture or building. Picture Plane is the flat surface of your drawing paper or canvas. Composition is the organization and placement of the elements on your picture plane. Focal Point is the object or area you want the viewer to look at first. Perspective and its types Nonlinear Perspective is the method of showing depth that incorporates the following techniques. Position-Placing an object higher on the page makes it appear farther back then objects placed lower on the page. Overlapping-When an object overlaps another object it appears closer to the viewer, and the object behind the object appears farther away. Size Variation-Smaller objects look farther away in the distance. Larger objects look closer. Color-Bright colors look like they are closer to you and neutral colors look like they are farther away. Value-Lighter values look like they are farther back and darker value look like they are closer. For example in a landscape the mountains often look bluish and lighter then the trees or houses that are closer to you.

Linear Perspective is the method of using lines to show the illusion of depth in a picture. The following are types of linear perspective. One-point perspective-When lines created by the sides of tables or building look like that are pointing to the distance and they all meet at one point on the horizon this is one-point perspective. Two-point perspective-Here the lines look like they are meeting at two points on the horizon line. Texture Texture is the surface quality of an object. A rock may be rough and jagged. A piece of silk may be soft and smooth and your desk may feel hard and smooth. Texture also refers to the way a picture is made to look rough or smooth. Categories of Texture Real Texture is the actual texture of an object. Artist may create real texture in art to give it visual interest or evoke a feeling. A piece of pottery may have a rough texture so that it will look like it came from nature or a smooth texture to make it look like it is machine made. Implied Texture is the where a two-dimensional piece of art is made to look like a certain texture but in fact is just a smooth piece of paper. Like a drawing of a tree trunk may look rough but in fact it is just a smooth piece of paper. Value Value is the range of lightness and darkness within a picture. Value is created by a light source that shines on an object creating highlights and shadows. It also illuminates the local or actual color of the subject. Value creates depth within a picture making an object look three dimensional with highlights and cast shadows, or in a landscape where it gets lighter in value as it recedes to the background giving the illusion of depth. Categories of Values Tint is adding white to color paint to create lighter values such as light blue or pink. Shade is adding black to paint to create dark values such as dark blue or dark red. High-Key is where the picture is all light values. Low-Key is where the picture is all dark values. Value Contrast is where light values are placed next to dark values to create contrast or strong differences. Value Scale is a scale that shows the gradual change in value from its lightest value, white to its darkest value black.

Form Form is the three-dimensionality of an object. Shape is only two-dimensional; form is three-dimensional. You can hold a form; walk around a form and in some cases walk inside a form. In drawing or painting using value can imply form. Shading a circle in a certain manner can turn it into a sphere.

Balance

To balance a composition is to distribute its parts in such a way that the viewer is satisfied that the piece is not about to pull itself over. When components are balanced left and right of a central axis they are balanced horizontally. When they are balanced above and below they are said to be balanced vertically. And when components are distributed around the center point, or spring out from a central line, this is referred to as radial balance.

There are two forms of visual balance. These are symmetrical balance, also known as symmetry or formal balance, and asymmetrical balance, also known as asymmetry or informal balance. Symmetrical Balance Symmetrical balance is when the weight is equally distributed on both sides of the central axis. Symmetry is the simplest and most obvious type of balance. It creates a secure, safe feeling and a sense of solidity. Symmetrical balance can be achieved in two ways. One way is by "pure symmetry," and the other way is by "approximate symmetry." In pure symmetry identical parts are equally distributed on either side of the central axis in mirrorlike repetition. A good example of pure symmetry is the human face. It is the same on both the right side and the left side of the nose. Pure symmetry has its place in certain art works, however, because of its identical repetition, pure symmetry for a composition can easily become too monotonous and uninteresting to look at. Approximate symmetry on the other hand has greater appeal and interest for the viewer. The two sides of a composition are varied and are more interesting to view. Even though they are varied somewhat, they are still similar enough to make their repetitious relationship symmetrically balanced. Asymmetrical Balance Asymmetrical balance is when both sides of the central axis are not identical, yet appear to leave the same visual weight. It is a "felt" equilibrium or balance between the parts of a composition rather than actual. If the artist can feel, judge or estimate the various elements and visual weight, this should allow him/her to balance them as a whole. As a result, a more interesting composition will occur in the work. The use of asymmetry in design allows for more freedom of creativity, because there are unlimited arrangements that may be devised using asymmetrical balance. The way to use asymmetry is by balancing two or more unequal components on either side of the fulcrum by varying their size, value or distance from the center.

The Principle of Unity

Unity is the hallmark of a good design. It's the final result in a composition when all the design elements work harmoniously together giving the viewer a satisfying sense of belonging and relationship. You know unity has been achieved when all aspects of the design complement one another rather than compete for attention. It serves to reinforce the relationship between the design elements and relates them to the key theme being expressed in a painting. Unity in a composition is achieved when all of the design principles (balance, movement, emphasis, visual economy, contrast, proportion and space) have been correctly applied. Everything selected for use in a composition must complement the key theme and must also serve some functional purpose within the design. Some easy ways to achieve unity in your compositions include: Similarity: Try repeating colors, shapes, values, textures, or lines to create a visual relationship between the elements. Repetition works to unify all parts of a design because it creates a sense of consistency and completeness. Continuity: Treat different elements in the same manner. Continuity helps to create "family resemblances" between different forms. This helps to tie them together by creating an uninterrupted connection or union. Alignment: Arranging shapes so that the line or edge of one shape leads into another helps creates unity in your design. When an element is placed in a composition, it creates an implied horizontal and vertical axis at its top, bottom, center and sides. Aligning other elements to these axes creates a visual relationship which unifies them. Proximity: Group related items together so that these related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated elements. Elements that are positioned close to one another are perceived as being related while elements that are farther apart are considered less related. How close together or far apart elements are placed in a composition suggests a relationship (or lack of) between otherwise disparate parts. Using a "third element" such as a road to connect near-by elements with distant ones also helps to create a sense of relationship between the forms which are not grouped together.

The Principle of Emphasis

Emphasis is the stressing of a particular area of focus rather than the presentation of a maze of details of equal importance. When a composition has no emphasis nothing stands out. However the effective use of emphasis calls attention to important areas of the painting. By placing emphasis on certain areas of the composition, an artist creates elements of interest which causes the eye to return to again and again. One way of achieving emphasis is by creating center of interest, a.k.a. a focal point. A focal point is an area where the eye tends to center. It is the focus of the viewer's attention. A focal point is created by making one area of element of the painting dominant or most important visually with all other areas contributing but subordinate. The focal point may be the largest, brightest, darkest, or most complex part of the whole, or it may get special attention because it stands out for some other reason. No more than one component should vie for primary attention. Where several components get equal billing, emphasis is canceled out. The second way to create emphasis is by contrasting the primary element with its subordinates, or emphasis can be created by a sudden change in direction, size, shape, texture, color, tone or line. No matter what element is chosen for emphasis it should never demand all the attention.

The Principle of Movement Movement is the path our eyes follow when we look at a work of art. The purpose of movement is to create unity in the artwork with eye travel. This can be achieved by using repetition, rhythm, and action. Movement ties the work together by relating the various components of a work together. By arranging the composition elements in a certain way, an artist controls and forces the movement of the viewer's eyes in and around the composition with the painting. For example, the eye will travel along an actual path such as solid or dotted line, or it will move along more subtle paths such as from large elements to little elements, from dark elements to lighter elements, from color to non color, from unusual shapes to usual shapes, etc. Graduation of size, and repeated shapes and size of related elements subtly leads the eye as well. Movement in Repetition and Rhythm The use of repetition to create movement occurs when elements which have something in common are repeated regularly or irregularly sometimes creating a visual rhythm. Repetition doesn't always mean exact duplication either, but it does mean similarity or near-likeness. Actually, slight variations to a simple repetition will add interest. Repetition tend to tie thing together whether they are touching or not and is an easy way to achieve unity. Rhythm is the result of repetition which leads the eye from one area to another in direct, flowing, or staccato movement. It can be produced by continuous repetition, by periodic repetition, or by regular alternation of one of more forms or lines. A single form may be slightly changed with each repetition or be repeated with periodic changes in size, color, texture, or value. A line may regularly vary in length, weight, or direction. Color may also be repeated in various parts of the composition in order to unify the various areas of the painting

The Principle of Proportion Proportion in art is the comparative harmonious relationship between two or more elements in a composition with respect to size, color, quantity, degree, setting, etc.; i.e. ratio. A relationship is created when two or more elements are put together in a painting. This relationship is said to be harmonious when a correct or desirable relationship exists between the elements. This refers to the correct sizing and distribution of an element or object which creates good proportion. Good proportion adds harmony and symmetry or balance among the parts of a design as a whole. When the principle of proportion is applied to a work of art it is usually in the relationship of size. That is, the size of one element of the composition as compared to the size of another related element. In the instance of a relationship of size a comparison is made between the:

height, width and depth of one element to that of another size of one area to the size of another area size of one element to the size of another element amount of space between two or more elements

Proportion is usually not even noticed until something is out of proportion. When the relative size of two elements being compared seems wrong or out of balance it is said to be "out of proportion". For example if a person has a head larger than their entire body, then we would say that they were out of proportion.

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Good Proportion There are several ways for achieving good proportion:
1. Place together elements which are similar in character or have some feature in common. 2. Create major and minor areas in the design, as equal parts can quickly become monotonous and boring. However, the differences in size must not be so great as to make the parts appear unrelated and therefore, out of harmony with each other. 3. Arrangement of space should be in such a way that the eye does not perceive a standard mathematical relationship. Dividing up the composition in halves, quarters and thirds should be avoided. A subtle relationship creates a more dynamic design. 4. Create harmony in the art work. Harmony is an agreement between the shapes that stresses the similarities of all parts. In other words, the shape of one part should "fit" the shape of the adjoining elements. Shapes should fit" properly in their positions and spaces.

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The Principle of Contrast Contrast in art and design occurs when two related elements are different. The greater the difference the greater the contrast. Contrast adds variety to the total design and creates unity. It is what draws the viewer's eye into the painting and helps to guide the viewer around the art piece. Contrast in art also adds visual interest. Most designs require a certain amount of contrast. Too much similarity of the components in any design becomes monotonous. In other words the use of too little contrast can cause a design to be bland and uninteresting. On the other hand too much contract can be confusing. Just the right amount of contrast engages the viewer's participation in comparing various components of the work. For instance, the viewer will compare light and dark areas of a painting, wide lines and thin lines, light-weight forms and heavy forms, filled spaces and unfilled spaces, etc. The key to working with contrast is to make sure the differences are obvious. The most common ways of creating contrast are by creating differences in:
size value color type texture shape alignment direction movement

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