Chapter 4: Principles of Design  What is design?  The process of choosing which Elements of Art to use and how they are organized.

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN Concepts for organizing elements of art into successful art forms.

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

Unity The appearance or condition of wholeness or oneness. Used to describe the feeling that all of the elements of art and principles of design are used effectively.

UNITY…  The appearance or condition of oneness  The feeling that all the elements in a work belong together and make up a coherent and harmonious whole  We feel that any change would diminish the artworks quality

Variety Using different art elements throughout the composition. Used to keep the composition from getting boring Variety VARIETY Variety VARIETY I and the Village Marc Chagall Oil on Canvas, 1911

VARIETY…  Provides diversity.  Acts to counter unity.

UNITY AND VARIETY  The sameness of too much unity is boring.  The diversity of uncontrolled variety is chaotic.  Balance between unity and variety creates life.

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

Pattern: Established through the repeated use of elements (esp. line, form, shape or color,) in an organized manner. Interior of a Dutch House Pieter de Hooch. Oil on Canvas. 1658

PATTERN Repetitive ordering of design elements.

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern  Balance Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

Balance: Refers to the visual equalization of the Elements of Art in a work. 1. Symmetrical 2. Asymmetrical 3. Radial

BALANCE  The achievement of equilibrium  Acting influences are held in check by opposing forces  Two general types: Symmetrical (formal) and Asymmetrical (informal)

Symmetrical: A design or composition with identical or nearly identical elements on opposite sides of a dividing line or central axis. Also know as formal balance. The Taj Mahal Agra, India c

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE  The near or exact matching of left or right sides of a three-dimensional form or a two-dimensional composition

Asymmetrical: A design or composition with different elements on opposite sides of a dividing line or central axis. Also known as informal balance. The Old Guitarist; Picasso, 1903

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE  The left and right sides are not the same  Various elements are balanced-according to their size and meaning, around a felt or implied center of gravity.

Balance…

But what about… Radial Balance Elements branch out or radiate from the center axis. Rose Window and Lancets North Transept Chartres Cathedral Paris, France, 13th Century

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern  Balance  Emphasis and Subordination Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

Emphasis: Generally the first element or form seen in a composition. May be the lightest or darkest part of the composition. It is used to draw attention to an area or areas. If that area is a specific spot or figure it is known as the FOCAL POINT. The Third of May, Francisco Goya Oil on Canvas. 1814

EMPHASIS  Used to draw our attention to an area or areas  If that area is a specific spot or figure, it is called a focal point  Position, contrast, color and size can all be used to create emphasis

SUBORDINATION  Create neutral areas of lesser interest  Keeps the viewer from being distracted from areas of emphasis

The Holy Family on the Steps; Poussin

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern  Balance  Emphasis and Subordination  Directional Forces Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

YET ANOTHER “NEW” CONCEPT… Or is it?!?

DIRECTIONAL FORCES…  Influence the attention we pay to parts of an artwork  “Paths” for the eye to follow provided by actual or implied lines  Often reveals an artwork’s underlying energy and basic visual structure

Movement: Combines elements to produce the look of action or to cause the viewer’s eye to sweep over the work in a certain manner The Starry Night Vincent van Gogh Oil on Canvas, 1889

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern  Balance  Emphasis and Subordination  Directional Forces  Contrast Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

Contrast: Combining art elements to stress the differences between elements. For example, bright colors next to dull, geometric shapes next to organic, light values against dark. Conversion of Saint Paul Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio Oil on Canvas.1601.

CONTRAST  The juxtaposition of strongly dissimilar elements  The what of the what?!?

JUXTAPOSITION The act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side; also: the state of being so placed. Merriam-Webster Dictionary

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern  Balance  Emphasis and Subordination  Directional Forces  Contrast  Repetition and Rhythm Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

Repetition: Combining art elements so that the same elements are used over and over. Used to achieve balance and unity The Parthenon, Athens, Greece. 447 – 438 B.C.

REPETITION  Pretty much the same thing  So simple the book doesn’t even give a definition  It does say that repetition gives a composition unity, continuity, flow and emphasis

Rhythm Refers to the way of combining art elements to produce the look and feel of movement, especially with a visual tempo or beat. Nude Descending a Staircase, No 2. Marcel Duchamp. Oil on Canvas

RHYTHM  Created through the regular recurrence of elements with related variations  Any kind of movement or structure of dominant and subordinate elements in sequence  Generally associated with the temporal arts (music, dance, poetry)

Cranes; Korin

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern  Balance  Emphasis and Subordination  Directional Forces  Contrast  Repetition and Rhythm  Scale and Proportion Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

SCALE The size relationship of parts to a whole PROPORTION The size relationship of one thing to another

Proportion: The size relationship of parts to a whole and to one another. Palette of Narmer, Hierakonpolis, Slate, c B.C.

Michelangelo, Pieta, Marble,

What are the Principles of Design?  Unity  Variety  Pattern  Balance  Emphasis and Subordination  Directional Forces  Contrast  Repetition and Rhythm  Scale and Proportion Prebles…  Balance  Emphasis  Pattern  Repetition  Rhythm  Movement  Contrast  Variety  Proportion  Unity KCC

FORMAT Refers to the size and shape (and therefore the scale and proportion) of a two-dimensional picture plane Hierarchical scale The use of unnatural proportions to show the relative importance of figures

Michelangelo, Pieta, Marble, Roettgen Pieta, Painted Wood,