PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN Artistic principles are the means by which the elements in a work of art are arranged and orchestrated. They include: Visual Balance Repetition Scale and Proportion Emphasis Time and Motion Unity Variety

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN Ways to think about the PRINCIPLES OF DESGIN: A principle is that it is something that can be repeatedly and dependably done with elements to produce some sort of visual effect in a composition. The principles are based on sensory responses to visual input: elements APPEAR to have visual weight, movement, etc. A principle can be used to describe an operational cause and effect such as "bright things come forward and dull things recede." A principle can describe a high quality standard to strive for such as "unity is better than chaos" or "variation beats boredom" in a work of art. A principle is a way to express a value judgment about a composition. When we say a painting has unity we are making a value judgment. Too much unity without variety is boring and too much variation without unity is chaotic. The principles of design help the artist carefully plan and organize the elements of art so that it will hold interest and command attention. This is sometimes referred to as visual impact.

Balance Chris Gildow, 'Balance'

Balance There are three basic forms of visual balance: Symmetrical Asymmetrical Radial Chris Gildow, 'Examples of Visual Balance' Left: Symmetrical. Middle: Asymmetrical. Right: Radial.

Symmetrical Balance Symmetrical balance is the most visually stable, and characterized by an exact – or nearly exact - compositional design on either (or both) sides of the horizontal or vertical axis of the picture plane. Symmetrical compositions are usually dominated by a central anchoring element. Luc Viator, 'Moon Jellyfish', digital image

Symmetrical Balance Eero Saarinen, 'Gateway Arch', 1963-65, stainless steel, 630’ high. St. Louis, Missouri. Richard Serra, 'Tilted Spheres', 2002 – 04, Cor-ten steel, 14’ x 39’ x 22’. Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Canada Sano di Peitro, 'Madonna of Humility', c.1440, tempera and tooled gold and silver on panel.

Assymetry Asymmetry uses compositional elements that are offset from each other, creating a visually unstable balance. Asymmetrical visual balance is the most dynamic because it creates a more complex design construction. Poster from the Library of Congress Archives

Asymmetry Hiroshige, 'Shinagawa on the Tokaido', ukiyo-e print, after 1832 Claude Monet, 'Still Life with Apples and Grapes', 1880, oil on canvas. The Art Institute of Chicago. Andrew Dunn, 'Reclining Figure', Henry Moore, 1951, painted bronze. Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Radial Balance Radial balance suggests movement from the center of a composition towards the outer edge - or vise versa. Many times radial balance is another form of symmetry, offering stability and a point of focus at the center of the composition. Tibetan Mandala of the Six Chakravartins, c. 1429-46. Central Tibet (Ngor Monestary).

Repetition Repetition is the use of two or more like elements or forms within a composition. The systematic arrangement of a repeated shapes or forms creates pattern. Patterns create rhythm, the lyric or syncopated visual effect that helps carry the viewer, and the artist’s idea, throughout the work. Orchard by Jim Wilson for the New York Times

Australian aboriginal softwood coolamon with acrylic paint design Repetition Australian aboriginal softwood coolamon with acrylic paint design Alfredo Arreguin, 'Malila Diptych', 2003. Washington State Arts Commission

Scale and Proportion Scale and proportion show the relative size of one form in relation to another. Scalar relationships are often used to create illusions of depth on a two-dimensional surface, the larger form being in front of the smaller one. The scale of an object can provide a focal point or emphasis in an image. Winslow Homer, “A Good Shot,” Adirondacks, 1892 watercolor on wove paper

Scale and Proportion Rene Magritte Original Title: Les valeurs personnelles Date: 1952; Brussels, Belgium Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje van Bruggen, 'Stake Hitch‘, 53 feet Michelangelo, 'Pieta', 1499, marble. St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome

Emphasis Emphasis – the area of primary visual importance – can be attained in a number of ways: It can be a function of differences in scale. It can also be obtained by isolating an area or specific subject matter through its location or color, value and texture. Main emphasis in a composition is usually supported by areas of lesser importance, a hierarchy within an artwork that’s activated and sustained at different levels. Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 'The Third of May, 1808', 1814. Oil on canvas. The Prado Museum, Madrid 

Time and Motion Eadweard Muybridge, sequences of himself throwing a disc, using a step and walking Kuya-Shonin (Saint Kuya) Kosho (Japan, active late 12th–early 13th century) Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2) Marcel Duchamp, American (born France), 1887 - 1968

Time and Motion Michelangelo, “David,” 1501-1504 Bernini, “David,” 1623

Unity and Variety UNITY is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which create a sense of completeness. Ultimately, a work of art is the strongest when it expresses an overall unity in composition and form, a visual sense that all the parts fit together. VARIETY is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention and to guide the viewer’s eye through and around the work of art. This is where the objective functions of line, color, pattern, scale and all the other artistic elements and principles yield to a more subjective view of the entire work, and from that an appreciation of the aesthetics and meaning it resonates. Katsushika Hokusai, 'Fujimi Fuji View Field in the Owari Province'