Principles of Design

What are principles of design?

Harmony Variety Balance Proportion and Scale Dominance Rhythm/Movement Economy

The guidelines for organizing the elements in order to satisfy the artist’s expressive intent.

They describe relationships of elements to one another.

I. Harmony

A related quality of visual elements of a composition. Ex: repetition, rhythm, continuity.

Elements are combined to accent their similarities and create wholeness in an artwork.

Andy Warhol. 200 Campbell Soup Cans.

II. Variety

The use of contrasting elements in a composition to add individualism and interest.

Ben Jones. Black Face and Arm Unit. 1971.

III. Balance

Feeling of equilibrium in weight attention or attraction of various visual elements.

Means of accomplishing organic unity.

Types of balance: Symmetrical (formal)

including Relieved Asymmetrical (informal) radial

Visual weight refers to the apparent “heaviness” or “lightness” of the forms arranged in a composition.

Symmetrical Balance

Implied center gravity is the vertical axis—an imaginary line down the center of the composition

Forms on either side of the axis correspond to one another in size, shape, and placement

Perfect symmetry is when the two sides “mirror” each other.

Relieved symmetry is when the two sides nearly—but do not exactly—“mirror.” This occurs more often.

O’Keefe. Deer Skull with Pedernal. 1936. Kahlo. The Two Fridas. 1939.

Perfect or relieved symmetry?

Asymmetrical Balance

The two sides of the composition do not match The visual weights in the two sides are very

similar The viewer perceives the relationships between

the elements in the two sides—and, in turn, the composition’s balance

It’s much like balancing a seesaw with differently sized people.

Asymmetrical Balance (cont.)

1. A large form is visually heavier than a smaller form.

2. A dark-value form is visually heavier than a light form of the same size.

3. A textured form is visually heavier than a smooth form of the same size.

4. A complex form is visually heavier than a simple form of the same size.

5. Two or more small forms can balance a larger one.

6. A small darker form can balance a larger light one.

Klimt. Death and Life. 1915.

Here, the darker, smaller form of Death balances the lighter, larger form of Life.

Mondrian was concerned with formal design principles, and his Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue is a classic example: What size of a blue area was needed to balance the red and yellow areas?

Radial Balance

Elements in a composition radiate outward from a central point.

(like the sun or your tire rims)

More common in architecture and the crafts.

Baptism of Christ and Procession of Twelve Apostles. c.520

IV. Proportion and Scale

Proportion—the comparison of elements to one another in terms of their properties of size, quantity and degree of emphasis

Scale—size in relation to a standard or “normal” size.

Magritte. Delusions of Grandeur II. 1948.

El Greco. Resurrection. C. 1600-1605.

Oldenburg and van Bruggen. Flying Pins. 2000.

V. Dominance (also called Emphasis)

When some elements assume more importance than others in the same composition.

Created by contrasts in size, color, value, etc.

Also created by line direction

Klimt. Serena Lederer. 1899.

Caravaggio. The Calling of St. Matthew.

What is emphasized here?

How?

Goya. Executions of the Third of May, 1808. 1814-15. How about this one?

VI. Rhythm/Movement

An illusion created by the placement and configuration of the visual parts or elements.

Here, repetition creates a strong, steady rhythm.

Mondrian. Broadway Boogie-Woogie. 1942-43.

Repetition of shapes and colors are given great variety through placement and size differences.

This gives an irregular and lively rhythm.

Duchamp. Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2. 1912.

Here, the artist wanted to capture every miniscule movement of a body as it went from one place to another.

How was that effect achieved?

Balla. Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash. 1912.

VII. Economy

Process of breaking a composition down into it’s most significant essentials: eliminating elaborate details to provide greater legibility; often a component of abstraction.

Matisse. The Dance. 1909.

Kenneth Noland. Split. 1959.

Donald Judd. Untitled. 1969. Brass and colored fluorescent plexiglass.

Economy was all-important to the Minimalists.

They wanted to see how many elements of art could be taken out of a piece and it still be considered art.

Information and images for this presentation were provided by:

Getlein, Mark. Gilbert’s Living with Art, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2002.

Gilbert, Rita. Living with Art, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995.

Harden, Mark. Artchive. http://artchive.com/core.html 2005.

Hext, Bob and Kristi Hext. Lecture notes 2004-2005.