Principle of Design

• Principle of Design - refer to the visual strategies used by artists, in conjunction with the elements of arts – for expressive purposes
• Principle of Design - bring visual stability
• Harmony - means all parts of the visual image relate to and complement each other.
• Harmony - might be similar colors, shapes, sizes of objects, etc. It’s about repetition and a relationship between elements
• Harmony - creates a sense of connection between the objects, creating a sense of flow
• Rhythm - created by repetition, and repetitive patterns convey a sense of movement
• Rhythm - organized movement, a beat, a repetition
• in the visual arts, the viewer perceives rhythm by grouping elements such as color, line and shape.
• Rhythmical patterns help the eye to move easily from one part of the room to another or from one part of a design to another
• Regular Repetition - are duplicated at orderly or fixed intervals.
• Regular Repetition - The easiest and most precise way to create rhythm
• Regular Repetition - Was a core property of Minimalist artists, of which Flavin was one.
• Donald Judd’s sculpture in particular was based on the repetition of simple geometric shapes mounted on walls or set on the floor in a steady, evenly spaced pattern
• Minimalism - An abstract art movement begun in the 1960s that emphasizes the use of pure and simple shapes and materials.
• Alternating Rhythm - elements in a work repeat themselves in predictable order.
• Alternating Rhythm - describes an artwork that contains a repetition of two or more components that are used interchangeably
• Alternating Rhythm - include alternating light and dark colors or placing various shapes and/or colors in a repeating pattern.
• Progressive Rhythm - contains repeating elements without a specified order or arrangement.
• Progressive Rhythm - elements of a work of art such as shape, texture, or color change slightly as they move, or progress toward a defined point in the composition.
• Progressive Rhythm - include building blocks arranged from smallest to largest and spirals. Some random rhythm examples include splatters of paint or shells on a beach.
• United States Capitol – the house in which the laws of the land are created – repetition and symmetry can imply rationality and decorum, tying the structure of the building to a certain symbolic ideal.
• Balance - the concept of visual equilibrium, and relates to our physical sense of balance. It is a reconciliation of opposing forces in a composition that results in visual stability
• Balance - Most successful compositions achieve balance in one of three ways: symmetrically. or asymmetrically and radial
• Leonardo da Vinci- Study of Human Proportion: The Vitruvian Man (1492)
• 1. Symmetrical Balance - which the elements of a work are balanced by similarity of form or arrangement on either side of a dividing line or plane, or to correspondence of parts, as in size, shape, or position
• Asymmetrical Balance - more than slight differences between the divided areas of a work, yet there is an overall sense of balance.
• Radial balance - when objects are distributed all around a central point
• Symmetrical balance can be described as having equal "weight" on equal sides of a centrally placed fulcrum
• Symmetrical balance - also called as formal balance
• When the elements are arranged equally on either side of a central axis, the result is Bilateral symmetry
• It is also possible to build formal balance by arranging elements equally around a central point, resulting in radial symmetry.
• Emphasis - an extension of these first two principles: it is when contrast, placement, size, color, or other features are used to highlight one object, area, or other elements of the artwork
• Emphasis - used to draw attention – a focal point – or accentuate a feature
• 1. Emphasis by Directional lines - Lines that lead the eye to a focal point.
• Pablo Picasso - Family of Saltimbanques (1905)
• Unity - A powerful concept
• Unity - - implies harmony
• Unity - they fit together to form a meaningful whole
• Variety - the soul of pleasure
• Variety- a sense of the difference between elements of an artwork – the opposite of unity, or harmony