1. Chapter 3
Principles of Design

2. Design or Composition
• Design or composition - the act of
organizing the visual elements to
effect a desired aesthetic on a
work of art.
• When artists create compositions
they consciously draw upon
design principles.
• Sometimes, however, they may
choose to consciously violate
them.

3. UNITY
• A work or art achieves unity when its
parts seem necessary or balanced to the
total composition.

4. Examples of Unity
• Grid
• Color harmony
• Keeping one or more aspects of the
work constant
• Continuity

5. Fig. 3.1, p.70 ANDY WARHOL Ethel Scull Thirty-Six Times (1963). Synthetic polymer paint
silkscreened on canvas. 79-3/4” x 143-1/4”.

9. Types of Unity
• Visual Unity - Artwork that is unified
by color, shape, composition, or some
other visual design principle
• Conceptual Unity - Artwork that has a
common theme or concept throughout
it

19. Emphasis on Variety
• When artists emphasize variety, they
are usually exaggerating differences
rather than similarities.

22. BALANCE
• Balance refers to the distribution of
weight in art
• The actual or apparent weight in the
elements of a composition
• Balancing the formal elements of art

23. Actual Balance and
Pictorial Balance
1. Actual Balance means that the
piece of art is literally balanced. It
can stand upright on its own.
2. Pictorial Balance refers to the
distribution of the apparent or
visual weight of the elements in
works that are basically 2D.

28. Symmetrical Balance
• Symmetry - refers to a similarity of form or
arrangement on either side of a dividing line or plane
• Symmetrical Balance - the whole of the work has
a symmetrical feeling
• Asymmetrical balance - when the variations to
the right and left side of the composition are more
then slight, yet there remains an overall sense of
balance

29. Fig. 3.8, p.75 LEONARDO DA VINCI. Proportion of the Human Figure (after Vitruvius) (c. 1485–1490).
Pen and ink. 13-1⁄2” x 9-3⁄4”.

30. Fig. 3.9, p.75: The United States Capitol Building, Washington, DC.

39. Asymmetrical Balance
• When the right and left sides of a
composition bear visibly different
shapes, colors, textures, or other
elements, and yet they are arranged or
“weighted” in such a way that the work
feels balanced.

47. Horizontal, Vertical, and
Radial Balance
Horizontal balance - Elements on the left and right
side of the composition seem to be about equal.
Vertical balance - The elements at the top and
bottom of the composition are in balance
Diagonal balance - The elements on either side of a
diagonal line dividing the composition are
visually equal.
Radial balance - Design elements radiate from the
center point; frequently used in ceramics,
jewelry, basketry, stained glass, and other crafts

48. Imbalance
• Can create shock and discomfort
• Can be used to capture a sense of
movement

53. Fig. 3.17, p.79 ROBERT CAPA. Death of a Loyalist Soldier (September 5, 1936). Gelatin silver print.

54. EMPHASIS AND FOCAL
POINT
• Some feature of a work normally will
capture the viewer’s attention.
• Artists use emphasis to focus the
viewer’s attention.

55. How to create a focal point:
• Accentuating certain shapes
• Intensifying color
• Using directional line
• Strategically placing objects and images
• By isolating an object or subject

71. RHYTHM
Regular Repetition or Rhythm - orderly
progressions
• Rhythm can move a viewer visually as well
as emotionally.
• Repetitive pattern can be used to lead the
eye over the landscape of the work.
• Rhythm is found in sound, nature,
architecture, and art.

77. SCALE
• Scale refers to size.
• Scale - The relative size of an object
compared to other objects of its kind, its
setting, or human dimensions.

78. Fig. 3.25, p.84 COUNT DE MONTIZON. The Hippopotamus at the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park (1852).
Salted-paper print.

79. Hierarchical Scaling
• Used as a way of indicating importance
• Bigger = more import
• Often used in Ancient and Medieval art

81. Distortion of Scale
• Altering the viewer’s sense of scale can
create visual shock and humor.
• Can challenge the viewer to rethink the
subject and the historical aspects of the
object