Here are my notes on Elements and Principles of Design. Enjoy.
Elements of Design:
The elements of design are those which can be isolated from any visual work of art and are used to structure an image in the way the designer or artist wishes the viewer to perceive his or her work.
• Point
o In an image, a point immediately forces the brain to perceive some kind of order
• If there are two points, the mind will create a line, and thus a relationship between the two points
• With the three points, the mind assumes a triangle among the three
• “This compulsion to connect parts is described as grouping, or gestalt.”
• Gestalt theory began in the 1920s in Germany
o Closure: the mind supplies missing pieces to complete the image
o Continuity: the compulsion to connect the dots in an image and imply contour or form
o Proximity: grouping points or images relative to one another and therefore approximating the visual field
• Line
o A mark made that intends both a visual and psychological impact according to its direction and weight
• Can communicate both symbolically and emotionally to the viewer
• Can be used independently to suggest a separation or combination of forms, textures or patterns
• Line does not always exist perfectly in nature, and can be interpreted by the mind in an implicit manner
• Line can also communicate emotion and a particular state of mind through its character and direction
• Horizontal line: suggests feeling of rest or repose
o Objects parallel to the earth are at rest, or similar in relation to gravity and the land
• Vertical line: creates the idea of loftiness and spirituality, extend upwards beyond human reach
• Diagonal line: suggests movement or direction
o Unstable in relation to gravity, and therefore sets figures in motion or speed
o Also used to create an illusion of depth
• Horizontal and Vertical lines in combination: communicate stability and solidity
o Rectilinear lines stay put in relation to gravity
o Ideas of permanence, reliability and safety
• Deep, acute curves: suggest confusion, chaos or frenzy
o Have little to no relation to gravity
• Soft, shallow curves: suggest comfort, familiarity and relaxation
o Relate more to the human body and also have a pleasing, sensual quality
• Form
o Areas or masses that define objects in space, implying both an occupation and absence of that space
• Two dimensional form has height and width
• Three dimensional form depth, as well as height and width
• Organic forms often come from nature and are irregular in shape and asymmetrical
• Geometric forms are often thought to be artificially made or constructed due to their relation to mathematical perfection
• Perception of shape and form are affected by several factors:
• Viewpoint can emphasize or obscure certain features
• Space around an object can focus, distract or alter our impression of the object
• Lighting can often change the mood or character of the object as well
o Two-Dimensional Form
• Can be defined by line, which creates the contour of forms
• Value, the relative lightness or darkness of a color, can imply boundaries, contour and volume within a composition
• Form can also imply positive and negative space
• It is difficult to say the background is merely empty space
• “The effective placement of objects in relation to the surrounding negative space is essential for success in composition.”
o Two-Dimensional Illusion
• Tools for creating three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional medium:
• Overlapping
o Interpreted as one contour superceding the other
o Still very flat
• Changing size and placement
• Linear perspective
o Objects appear to grow smaller and come to a “vanishing point” at the horizon line
o The rate at which forms appear to change in size is regular and mathematically predictable
• Relative hue and value
o Important cues that tell a viewer whether an object is near or far
• In general, we tend to read warm hues as being closer than cool hues
• Colors close in value are often close to one another in space
• Colors with a strong contrast in value are often separate in space
• Distant objects tend to be either similar or neutral in value, and desaturated in hue
• Close objects tend to exhibit stronger, more saturated hues, and/or more contrasting values, including extremes of dark and light
• Atmospheric perspective
o Objects pushed to the upper part of the composition are understood to be far back
• Lacking contrast, detail and texture
o Three-Dimensional Form
• Three-dimensional forms seen in architecture, furniture, appliances and such must be conceived according to its function and the contours of the human body that will use it
• Its not so much about the shape of the object as the space and forms around it
• Three-dimensional form has an expressive quality similar to line:
• Rectilinear shapes suggest stability
• Angular shapes placed diagonally in relation to gravity suggest instability
• Soft curves suggest quiet, comfort and sensuality
• Movement
o “Movement is the process of relocation of objects in space over time.”
• Movement functions within the fourth dimension
o Literal movement: signaled by symbolic forms that suggest speed or motion
• This developed simultaneously with the concepts of aerodynamics that emerged in the 1930s
• The first art form that actually moved- motion pictures- introduced movement into visual language
o Compositional movement: how the viewer’s eye moves through an image
• Concerned more with the presence (or lack of) implied motion throughout an image
• Static composition: characterized by repetition of closed, isolated shapes and contrasts of color and/or value.
• The eye must jump and hop between separate components of the image
• Dynamic composition: characterized by open shapes or shapes that closely relate to adjacent shapes
• The eye can flow smoothly throughout the image, guided by continuous line and gradations of color and hue
• Color, Hue and Value
o Value- the relative lightness or darkness in color
• Contrast of values create a separation of objects in space
• Gradations of value suggest mass and contiguous surfaces
• The shapes tend to flatten out if values are close
o Hue- the pure spectrum of colors
• Theoretically, all hues can be created from the three basic primaries- red, yellow and blue
• Subtractive mixture- when colors are all mixed together and create black
• Additive mixture- when colors are mixed together to create white (all three primaries mixed together create white)
• complements- colors that are opposite to one another on the hue circle
• when complements are mixed, there is a desaturation of the new color created
• warm-cool contrast of hue can cause images to advance or recede
• Color Proportion- refers to the impact of the relative quantity of a given hue or value used in color compositions
• Simultaneous contrast- a color appears to change when seen against a different background
• Optical mixture- small particles of different colors are mixed in the eye
• Unlike additive or subtractive mixtures, there is an averaging of hue and value, resulting in grey
o Psychological Implications of Color
• These associations are commonly seen in Euro-American societies:
• Red
o Positive: feelings that are energetic, exciting, passionate or erotic
o Negative: aggressive feelings, anger, violence
• Orange
o Positive: color of flesh, friendly warmth, approachability, informality
o Negative: lack of discrimination or quality
• Yellow
o Positive: sunshine, optimistic, upbeat, modern
o Negative: can be very overwhelming
• Green
o Positive: suggests nature (plant life, forests), life, stability, restfulness
o Negative: in some tones- decay, toxicity, artificiality
• Blue
o Positive: coolness, spirituality, elegance
o Negative: distance, sadness, passivity, alienation
• Violet
o Positive: fantasy, playfulness, dream states
o Negative: nightmares, madness
• Pattern
o an underlying structure that organizes surfaces or structures in a consistent, regular manner
• the “skeleton” that organizes part of a composition
• one can perceive a “grid” as being the foundation for any structure or image
• by connecting the grid, one creates classes of patterns
• one type of pattern, flow, can be seen often in nature and has very little resistance in a composition
• branching can be observed in the plant world, as well as in rivers
• spirals can be seen in galaxies and buds and ferns
• Texture
o The quality of an object we sense through touch
• Exists as a literal surface we can feel
• Texture can also be portrayed in an image, suggesting a feeling we know from memory, and thus texture can be imagined
o Different tactile sensations:
• Bristly
• Rough
• Hard
• Smooth
• Soft
• Cold
• Hot
o The illusion of texture is often very important in art and design, especially in modern and contemporary art
Principles of design:
The Principles are concepts used to organize or arrange the structural elements of design. Again, the way in which these principles are applied affects the expressive content, or the message of the work.
• Balance
o The basic concept of visual equilibrium
• A reconciliation of opposing forces that results in visual stability
o Symmetrical balance- equal weight on equal sides of a centrally placed pivot
• Bilateral symmetry- elements arranged equally on either side of the central axes
• Radial symmetry- building elements equally around a certain point
• Approximate symmetry- equivalent but not identical forms are arranged around central axes
o Asymmetrical balance- the placement of objects allowing visual weight to vary around the fulcrum point, while still retaining balance
• In an image, this might be a cluster of small objects balanced by a large object
• Unequal weights can also be balanced by shifting the fulcrum point on our own imaginary scale
• Proportion
o The relationship of different masses of objects, or parts, of a whole
o The most universal standard of measurement is the human body, everything is measured to the ruler that is the human body
• Corporate buildings, churches, government offices are towering and massive in proportion to human, relating power and invincibility
• Homes are often scaled to humans, meaning they are less intimidating, comfortable and more friendly
• Rhythm
o Timed movement throughout space
• Or a connected path in which the eye follows a regular arrangement of motifs
• Creates predictability and order in a composition
• The timed “beat” of the rhythm is sensed by the eyes, rather than the ears
o Linear rhythm- the characteristic flow of an individual line
• Linear rhythm is not as dependent on pattern, but is more dependent on timed movement of the viewer’s eye.
o Repetition- use of patterning to achieve timed movement and a “visual” beat
o Alternation- a sequence of repeating motifs are presented in turn
o Gradation- a series of motifs, be it shapes or colors, that are patterned to relate to one another through a progression of steps (like a comic strip)
• Emphasis
o Usually interpreted as an interruption in the pattern, movement or rhythm of the viewer’s eye through a composition
• Repetition can create emphasis through calling attention to a particular element in repeated pattern in the composition
• Contrast achieves emphasis by setting the point of emphasis apart from the rest of its background
• Contrast of detail- many points of emphasis are created that are to be discovered through close attention to the intricacies in a design
• Unity
o Coherence, or harmony, of all the common elements and principles of design
• The effective and consistent use of form, color and especially pattern can best pull a composition together
• The elements and principles can be selected to support the intended function of the designed object
• the purpose of the object unifies the design.
