The Principles of Design

The Principles Of Design - Rules and quotes, hopefully made to be broken at some point, and help artists organize shapes, lines, forms and colors to communicate effectively. Helps us create a sense of unity in our work. This feeling is that everything works together somehow, that if you took anything out of the picture, it wouldn't feel complete. We don't want it to be boring so we want some kind of variety, you can have variety by mixing it up, small vs. large things, bleak vs. bright things.

Balance - Is when the visual weight of the artwork feels equally distributed. 4 different types of balance, symmetry, approximately symmetrical, asymmetry, radial.

Symmetry - Similar, the same when you draw a line down the middle of the shape, it is the same on the left as it is on the right.

Approximately Symmetrical - Almost symmetrical, not quite, almost.

Asymmetry - Opposite of symmetry.

Radial - Same left and right, doesn't matter where we put the line, same if I divide it anywhere.

Emphasis - Is when one element in an artwork appears to be more important or attract the most attention, we say it creates

Placement - Where artists place things matters, always thinking about where things go.

Contrast - When something is very different to what is around it.

Grouping - Creates a focus, when artists put a lot of elements and put the elements right around the thing they want you to focus on

Rhythm & Movement - Referring to how the artists guides the viewer through the work of art

Repetition - Same elements, alternating elements, progression

Leading Lines - Lines that help us travel through a painting

Implied Movement - Showing that something is moving although it really isn't

Optical Movement - When there is some repetition that tricks your eyes into thinking that moving is happening

Actual Movement - When something actually moves

Proportion - Size relationships of the parts to one another or to the whole. Words we might use like a lot, a little, many, few, big, small... etc. How the work looks, the possibility of creating a story or emotional component

Colors

Shapes

Forms

Unity - is the feeling that all the elements in a work of art belong together.

Variety - is achieved by introducing some difference into the picture to increase visual interest.