Principles of Design& Composition

10/8/2012

• You Need:– Principles of Design Worksheet– Pen or pencil

• Put your name on your worksheet:• Flip it over and “scribble scrabble” random

lines all over the back side.• Flip it back to the front• Follow along with the brief description of each

Principle. Add your own notes to help you remember.

Balance • Feeling of visual stability

• Asymmetrical: uneven on both sides

• Symmetrical: even on both sides

• Radial: symmetrical around a center point

PatternRepeated elements to create a design or surface texture

The green star is the center of a design that is repeated exactly, many times across the page.

EmphasisA focal point or most important idea in an artwork

This watercolor painting emphasizes the peacock feather colors & shapes by making them the largest & most central part of the artwork.

ContrastStrong differences between elements like color, shape, size & texture that creates visual interest

The dull underwater colors make the bright colors of the umbrella, girl’s clothes even more noticeable. Sizes of the fish, girl and ocean itself are also very different.

RhythmRepeated elements in a variety of ways

Text (pieces of words) are scattered throughout this painting. The green & blue colors are also repeated in different sizes and varieties in many places.

MovementDirects the eye through an artwork

The ribbons the woman holds literally move our view from the front of the picture to where she is standing. This creates a “swoop” effect that gives the feeling of wind.

UnityA feeling of completeness in an artwork.

The similar shapes and colors of the foxes create rhythm. The shapes of the foxes and where their faces point, lead our eye around the painting. The simple background color creates emphasis (focus) as well as contrast in color.

Composition: The organization of the elements in an artwork

The photographer “framed” a scene with a door. The door frame breaks the scene into small & large shapes (contrast, pattern) and eventually helps to lead our eye back to the human figure in the distance (movement).

What other elements & principles do you notice in this photograph?

Use your View Finder

• Flip your worksheet to the back side again.• Try to “frame up” 1 or 2 mini-compositions &

trace around them with your View Finder.– What small part of your scribble scrabble can be

considered “organized?”– Think about MOVEMENT, EMPHASIS, BALANCE &

CONTRAST….

Now

• Visit each artwork posted around the room. • Choose 1 artwork that BEST shows each Principle of

Design. (write the number in the space provided)• Write WHY you chose that artwork for each

principle. – Example: “This artwork uses Contrast because there is a

very large, white house next to a very small, black tree.”– Zero points for: “I don’t know (IDK)” or incomplete

sentences.