DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Done by Juliana

Design principles:

Balance Proportion Domninace Direction Harmony Composition Symbolic meaning Variety Contrast Repetition

Balance

This is Van Gogh‘s ‚Starry night‘. This is a good representation of a balanced image. The solid black shape on the left is balanced out by the bright yellow moon on the right and the swirl in the sky in the middle. Eventhough the black shape is quite heavy there is movement in the sky which draws the eyes to the right. If the sky did not have all that detail outrfocus would be shifted to the left and the image would not be balanced.

This is an example of an unbalanced image. The background which consists of a continuous flower pattern is balanced on its own but the two birds printed in the bottom right hand corner makes the image unbalanced. There is a large open space toward the left and more detail on the right causing. The detail makes it hevay on the one side, as if it were about to tilt.

This is a balanced image because it is symmetrical. The row of trees on the left reflect the row of trees on the right. Even the building which is being framed by the trees has these symmetrical archways. The left hand side is balanced out by the right hand side.

Proportion

In this image proportion has been used to create a sense of depth. The woman is much larger then the boy, which makes our minds picture the boy being further away in the background then the woman.

This image is completely out of proportion. Because we know a banana is not so large in real life our mind immediately sees this image as surreal and dreamlike. When things are not in proportion to their surroundings the situation becomes unrealistic and bizzare depending on how out of proportion that object is.

This image combines the ideas of the two previous images. the person on the right loks tiny compared to te person on the left. This juts means she is further away down the path way. Because the woman on the left is holding her hand up to make the woman on the left look as if she is standing on her hand the image has become unnatural because she is not in proportion to her surroundings.

Dominance

In this image the building in the centre dominates the rest of the buildings. This is because it is 3 times the height of the surrounding buildings and it is also surrounded by an oura of light. Its strong vertical structure makes it look more powerful and spectacular compared to the inferior surrounding building.s Here dominace is used to create a focal point.

In this image dominance is used to create a sense of importance. This is a painting of Jesus, but one knows that there is something special about the man, not because we know its Jesus, but because of his surrounding. People are lower down then him, crouching and looking up at him. He has a very upright posture which is confident. Most of the people around him are looking at him. He has become the focal point within this painting.

In this image, proportion has been used to create dominance. The blue head is the largest aspect of the imade and much larger then the body below it. Because of the outrageous colour, it also attracs attention because it is out of the ordinary. The head dominates the entire canvas.

Direction

In this image your eye is drawn diagonally from the bottom left corner to the upper right corner. The way the body is lying creates a sense of direction, so does the fabric which is draped around the body, your eye follows the folds up and down with the curve of the fabric.

In this image there is a lot of movement and action. There are curves and swirls everywhere. Your eye is immediately drawn from the extertior of te painting toward the centre and then around. This is because of the direcion the paint has been applied to the canvas.

In this painting done by Marcel Duchamp, there is a strong sense of direction. The repetition of the figure and the line show movement. The figure is clearly moving in the direction from left to right down stairs.

Harmony

Harmony has been created in this image by creating symmetry with the shapes. There is also a constant pattern running through the image drawing your eye into the centre. The colours fade into one another creating a peacful and balanced atmosphere.

In this image harmony has been created using balance. The left side of the image balances out the right hand side. The colours are also all very soft and within the same range. Soft blues and greens have been used. The image is also peacful and unified.

Similar to the previous image, harmony has been created using balance. Eventhough it is a rather busy image there is a sense of calm due to the pinky hues. The colours are soft and the whole image flows into one another. The trees on the left balance the trees on the right. Evenhough the image is broken by the little stream in the middle, the whole image remains one as a whole.

Compostition

In this image, ‘liberty leading the people‘, the composition has determined the mood. The focal point which is the woman, has been placed slightly off centre. The eye is drawn from the left of the image where there is a group of men, up toward the woman. The woman has been positioned above the men on a pile of bodies. Making her superior to the men. There is and extremely triumphant and energetic atmosphere within this image.

The composition of this image is very central. The eye is drawn immediately to the centre. The tree is the only sight within the painting. The composition has created a very clear focal point.

In this painting, the composition is rather crowded. The bodies of the man and the woman take up most of the picture space. The figures are off centre. There is a statue of a head placed to the right as if it is watching the couple. The man is very close to the woman, one can assume they have an intimate relationship.

Repetition

In this image the repetition of the same shape has manage to create an entire image which can be broken up into various different shapes. The pattern is also symmetrical. The picture space has become very busy due to the repetition of the shape. Its is overwhelming and dissorrientating.

An entire corridor has been created by the repetition of the achway. The repetition of the arch has created a tunel which leads your eye through and toward the background. The repetiton in various sizes has also created a sense of depth.

In this image, an image of a part of a body has been repeated in different positions. This has created a pattern which almost radiates outward from the top left corner outward.

Contrast

The technique ofchiarascuro has been used in this image. This shows a direct contrast between light and dark. The effct of this technigue is very dramatic. Only parts of the womans face is visible, which is basked in a bright light, where as areas like her mouth are completely blacked out. The atmosphere is mysterious because one cannot see the womans face properly. The background is also unknown because it is in shadows.

In this image there is a contrast between good and evil. This has been depicted using colours, posture and costume. The good is clearly depicted with brighter colours, where as evil is darker and and more omnious. Evil is also positioned lower down making him look inferior. The contarst is strong.

In this image there is a contrast between textures. One has the hard jagged rock on the left in contrast to the soft plant on the right. Because of the conrast of the textrures the imagination of the hardness and softness is intensified.

Variety

There are various shapes and colours within this image. Because of the huge variety of images and colours a very busy atmosphere has been created. It is also quite a happy atmosphere because of the colours and all bright and the shapes have positive connotations, such as the flowers and fish.

There is a huge variety of fish within this image along with various colours. The variety of fish has created an interesting image to look at. There is a lot one can spot and find.

Even though the flowers are all the same type, the variety of colours are and tones create an interesting variety of flowers. It is an interesting images because there is so much more to it when one looks closely. There is an enormous variety of shapes within the flowers, and colours fading into othercolours.

Symbolic meaning

We have all heard the saying “the rose amongst the thorns’. This image is a visual representation of that saying. A rose contains the symbolism of beauty and something that is delicate. Dried up branches with thorns are seen as harsh, dead and morbid. This image represents the beauty of this rose amongst its harsh surroundings.

when one sees steeples, stained glass windows, crusifixes and arches one immediately jumps to the conclusion that the building is a church. All these aspects have religious connotations. The cross represetn crist and the features are common representations of a holy place.

A black stormy sky is seen as dark and miserable and can have evil connotations. A single figure standing alone is seen as lonely. The two combined with a large , flat empty landscape which looks dried up and dead has connotations of emptiness, loneliness, darkness and the feeling that something is about to happen. There is a sense of waiting in this image, and the sense that what ever is coming is not necessarily positive. All these thought can be taken from this image because of the connotations that are attached to the different aspects of this image.

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