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Unit VI Principles of Design

The document discusses principles of design in art including harmony, repetition, pattern, rhythm, alternation, gradation, variety, balance, proportion, movement, emphasis and subordination. It defines each principle and provides examples of how artists use them in compositions.

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11 views

Unit VI Principles of Design

The document discusses principles of design in art including harmony, repetition, pattern, rhythm, alternation, gradation, variety, balance, proportion, movement, emphasis and subordination. It defines each principle and provides examples of how artists use them in compositions.

Uploaded by

genadriell
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNIT VI

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the unit, the students must have:

1. Defined or described the principles of design in an artwork;


2. Analyzed artworks based on the principles of design;
3. Created an artwork depicting the various principles of design.
Principles
of Design
Design
• is the overall visual
structure/organization of a
work of art. It is a means by
which the artist makes
comprehensible the ideas
he/she wishes to express and
communicate.
Principles of Design
• Harmony is one of the important principles
of design. In the visual arts, it refers to the
adaptation of the visual elements to each
other, the agreement between the parts of a
composition which results in unity. It is
achieved by the repetition of characteristics
which are similar in nature, such as shape,
size, and color.
Harmony
• is one of the important principles of design.
In the visual arts, it refers to the adaptation
of the visual elements to each other, the
agreement between the parts of a
composition which results in unity. It is
achieved by the repetition of
characteristics which are similar in nature,
such as shape, size, and color.

• Thus, repetition and rhythm are


essential to harmony.
Repetition
• Repetition is the use of the same visual
element a number of times in the same
composition. It reemphasizes visual
units again and again in a marked
pattern. It binds the work together to
achieve unity.

• Repetition does not always mean exact


duplication, but it does mean similarity
or near-likeness.
Pattern
• Pattern is the repeating of an object or
symbol all over the work of art. Uses
the elements in planned or random
repetitions to enhance surfaces of
paintings or sculpture. Often occurs in
nature, and artists use similar repeated
motifs to create pattern in their work. It
increases visual excitement by
enriching surface interest.
Rhythm
• Rhythm can be described as timed movement
through space; an easy, connected path which the
eye follows a regular arrangement of motifs; a flow
or a feeling of movement achieved by the
repetition of regular visual units.

• The parallels between rhythm in music are very


exact to the idea of rhythm in a visual composition.
The difference is that the timed “beat” is sensed by
the eyes rather than the ears.

• Rhythm can be achieved through repetition,


alternation, and gradation.
Alternation
• Alternation is a specific instance of pattern in
which a sequence of repeating motifs are
presented in turn (long/short; fat/thin;
round/square; dark/light)

Gradation
• Gradation employs a series of motifs
patterned to relate to one another through a
regular progression of steps. This may be a
gradation of shape or color. Some shape
gradations may create a sequence of events,
like a series of images in a comic strip.
Repetition
• Repetition involves the use of patterns to
achieve timed movement and a visual “beat”.
This repetition may be a clear repetition of
element in a composition, or it may be a
more subtle kind of repetition that can be
observed in the underlying structure of the
image.
Variety
• Variety prevents utter uniformity and monotony in the
environment of man. The use of a quality or an element
which contrasts with or is slightly different from those
that surround it prevents sameness. If shape is repeated,
variety in size can prevent uniformity. To make
differences dramatic, a contrasting quality may be
introduced. If bright colors are used, a cool, dark color
can provide a refreshing change.

• Unity and organization in art are dependent upon


dualism—balance between harmony and variety. This
balance does not have to be of equal proportions;
harmony might outweigh variety, or variety might
outweigh harmony.
Balance
• Balance is the concept of visual equilibrium
which gives a feeling of equality in weight,
attention or attraction of the various elements.
It suggests the gravitational equilibrium of a
single unit in space or a pair of objects
arranged with respect to an axis or a fulcrum.
It is a reconciliation of opposing forces in a
composition that results in visual stability.

• There are many factors which contribute to a


sense of balance. These are the position, size,
proportion, quality and direction of all the
elements.
Symmetrical Balance
• is the most obvious type of balance. It is
achieved by the use of identical compositional
units on either side of an imaginary vertical or
horizontal axis within the pictorial space, or
when one-half of a work mirrors the image of
the other half.

• There is a variant of symmetrical balance


called approximate symmetry in which
equivalent but not identical forms are arranged
around the fulcrum line.
Asymmetrical Balance
• or informal balance is more complex and less
obvious. It involves placement of objects in a
way that will allow object of varying visual
weight to balance one another around a
fulcrum point
Radial Balance
• Radial balance means that elements in the
composition radiate outward from central
point. More common in architecture and the
crafts.
Proportion
• Proportion refers to the relative size and scale of
the various elements in a design. It deals with the
ratio of one part to another and of the parts to the
whole. It is expressed in size, number, position,
and space. The space surrounding the object also
assumes an important relation to the object.

• Proportion is a matter of relative size and never of


absolute size.
Movement
• Movement is used by the artists to direct the viewer’s
eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas.
Such movement can be directed along lines, edges,
shape, and color within the work of art, but moves
the eye most easily on paths of equal value.

• Movement can be created with rhythm when using a


variation of an element repeatedly. Using curved lines
and diagonal lines creates more movement
compared to straight lines. Use lines to trace the path
to the focal point. Color can help enhance the feeling
of movement, juxtaposing high and low key colors to
create energy.
Emphasis & Subordination
• They are the principles that concern the giving of
proper importance to parts and to the whole.
They involve the differentiation between the more
important and the less important.

• Subordination is a technique that de-emphasizes


certain elements in a work of art to make the main
subject stand out.
Emphasis & Subordination
Thank You for Listening and See You on Unit 7!

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