Principles of Floral Design

Topic #2111

Five Principles of Design

• Balance• Harmony (unity)• Scale (proportion)• Focal area/ focal point/ focus/ emphasis• Rhythm

Balance

• The actual weight or feeling of weight in a design.

• Sense of stability and security• Achieved mechanically and visually

Aspects of Balance

• Mechanical– distributing the mass

of the design – top to bottom– side to side– follows central axis– void of flowers or a

“leaning arrangement” will be unbalanced.

• Visual– the way a person

perceives mass or weight

– becomes more visually balanced when the design is “heavier” near the base

Types of Symmetry

• Symmetrical Balance– central axis is in the

center of the container– radial symmetry– bilateral symmetry– biradial symmetry– spiral symmetry

• Asymmetrical Balance– central axis to the side

of center when viewed from front

– one side of axis has more mass than the other

– off-center placement of axis balances the unequal mass

Factors Which Influence Mass• Color

– dark colors have more mass than light colors– General ratio guide- 3white: 2 medium: 1 dark is balanced

• Texture– bold items are heavier than feathery-textured items

• Shape and Size– larger and taller flowers weigh more than smaller flowers

• Lighting– affects color intensity

Harmony (Unity)

• A blending together of design components (plant material, container, accessories, base, & background)

• Very abstract• Depends on personnel preference

Scale (Proportion)

• Size and shape relationships between:– the flowers and the other design components.– the container and the other design components.– the design itself and the space to be filled.

• Rule of Thumb– design should be 1.5 times the height/width of

container

Rule of Thumb Exceptions

• When the container is not a visible part of the design.

• When using colors that appear to be more massive, they appear to be shorter.

Focal Area/ Focal Point

• Mechanical– generally located at the

base of the central axis– stems are directed

toward the focal point– allows stems to appear

as if they are growing naturally from a single source.

• Visual– usually near the

mechanical focal point– naturally draws the eye

to the “heaviest” area of the design

– strong visual focal point enhances the design

Rhythm

• Intentional placement of materials to create a pleasing pattern

• Four methods of creating rhythm– Repetition– Transition– Facing– Depth

Repetition

• Repeating color, shape, lines, or size of components

• Most commonly used method of achieving rhythm

• Work with at least 2 stems of any particular flower variety

Transition

• Gradual change in the placement or spacing of color, form, line, and scale within a design

• More subtle way to create patterns• Gradually space flowers closer together as

the eye travels down into the design

Facing

• Facing of flower heads or other components• Best used in contemporary designs where

stems are not all placed toward one mechanical focal point

Depth

• The “in” and “out” eye movement created by placement of selected materials further into the design

• May be of a particular color, shape, texture, or scale