ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

5 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION

 Harmony  Contrast  Variation  Emphasis  Gradation WHAT ARE THE 5 PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION?

 Pleasing or congruent arrangement of scenic forms creating an aesthetic unity,  Control often achieved through repetition  Use of linear forms can dominate other elements  Some sequential relationship or continuity  Could be done through similar shapes, colors HARMONY

HARMONY: UNITY

 Equalization of visual weight or opposing forces within a composition  Tension is one of these forces  Found in spacing of scenic elements, grouping of furniture or relationship of actor to scenery & furniture.  Degree of tension depends on interval or space among forms  The space between the fingers of God & Adam gives life to Michelangelo’s painting in the Sistine Chapel HARMONY: BALANCE

 Another means of attaining unity  Proportion is relative.  A dining room chair compared to a throne loses grandeur, but next to a stool is important.  Golden Section: A ratio such as in a rectangle where the short side to the long side is the same as the long side to the sum of all sides.  Approximately 3:5 HARMONY: PROPORTION

 Patterns of repeated visual movement  Something that recurs at intervals & creates a cycle  Proportion and rhythm are related  May be expressed in flow of harmonious forms or in the nervous staccato organization of shapes HARMONY: RHYTHM

 In scenery—dissimilarity of forms used to create interest  In lighting—difference in color, intensity or distribution  Without contrast, form cannot be revealed  Think of nature—animals that blend in with surroundings  What if we used this approach in theatre?  Most visible example may be in color  All the same color would be harmonious.  Greater distances in color = more contrast CONTRAST

 Changes in the elements or principles of a form that prevent monotony  Can be subtle or major  Adds visual interest…too much of the same thing gets boring  Think to the color example—if a set is all one color (gray) and an actor walks out in all red…what does that do? VARIATION

 …It provides emphasis!  Visual prominence using the elements and principles of design to guide the viewer to a specific area of design  Creates a focal point or center of interest  The scenic designer has to tell the audience what’s important on stage.  Can be very obvious or subtle  Almost always is an actor  Contrast (as discussed) is the easiest way.  Scale? EMPHASIS

 Transitional steps in a sequence used to create emphasis and a feeling of movement of design  Usually a more subtle way of suggesting movement in a set GRADATION