Lesson 4: Principles of Design - Alternating rhythm describes an artwork that

contains a repetition of two or more

- Artists harness the principles of design to components that are used interchangeably.
shape their work, building on top of the - Some alternating rhythm examples include
elements of design to give cohesion to their
alternating light and dark colors or placing
pieces.
various shapes and/or colors in a repeating
- When used successfully, these principles pattern.
could transform art, both aesthetically and in Random Rhythm
terms of performance. - Random rhythm describes an artwork that
- Principles will provide explicit ways in contains repeating elements without a
which these elements are used, how they are specified order or arrangement.
manipulated, how they interact, and how - Some random rhythm examples include
they inform the overall composition of the
splatters of paint or shells on a beach.
artwork to assist the artist in conveying his
Rhythm: Flowing
intention.
- Flowing rhythm describes an artwork that
- Principles influence the effect achieved by
contains curved or circular elements that
the elements.
give the art movement.
Organization in the Visual Arts - Some flowing rhythm examples include
flowers, clouds, or waves.
Harmony Rhythm: Regular
- Regular rhythm describes an artwork that
- Achieved by establishing a pleasing
contains repeating elements with a specified
relationship between the various elements.
order or arrangement that can be measured.
- Is present when the various parts of the
- Some regular rhythm examples include
design give an appearance of belonging
evenly spaced windows or tiles.
together.
Rhythm: Progressive
- Unifies every part of an arrangement.
- Progressive rhythm describes an artwork
Aspects of Harmony:
that contains repeating elements in a pattern
Line and Shape
that change either in size or color as they
- Lines and shapes are made harmonious
repeat.
through repetition.
- Some progressive rhythm examples include
Size
building blocks arranged from smallest to
- Refer to good proportion.
largest and spirals.
Color
- Achieved through color harmonies. Balance
Texture
- Coarse textures go with coarse textures. - As a principle of art, balance refers to the
Ideas distribution of weight in a composition.
- Elements must have a similar concept. - This refers to a sense of stability in an
artwork.
Rhythm - While actual weight is a factor in sculpture
and architecture, the principle of balance
- Regular, uniform, or related visual
most often refers to the visual heaviness of
movement made through the repetition of a
shapes and forms in an artwork.
unit or motif.
- An artwork’s balance affects the equality
- Usually achieved through repetition of lines,
and tension of the composition and can lend
shapes, colors, and more
a feeling of calm or chaos to the work.
- Creates a visual tempo in artworks and
- To create this, artists combine the visual
provides a path for the viewer’s eye to
components to ensure that one part of the
follow.
artwork doesn’t completely overshadow the
Rhythm: Alternating
rest.
 - Each choice made by the artist is a Emphasis
deliberate one to ensure equilibrium and
balance in the art. - refers to the area of an artwork that
- Artists create this pleasing effect using the dominates attention or draws interest.
different types of balance in art. - It is often the place a viewer looks first.
Symmetrical Balance - Artists create emphasis by contrasting the
- when each half of the artwork is identical or elements of art, such as color or shape.
very similar Methods of Emphasizing Objects or
- can be seen when one draws a line through Subjects
the artwork and compares each side. - By color
- Also called formal balance. - By shape
Asymmetrical Balance - By size or dominance
- when each half is different but has equal - By detail
visual weight. Meaning, the artwork is still - By contrast
balanced. - By isolation
Radial Balance
Movement
- when there are equal parts that radiate out
from the center. Radial balance utilizes a - refers to how an artist depicts movement
central focal point that design elements using the elements and principles of art.
radiate outward or inwards to the central - refers to the visual flow of an artwork,
point. indicated by the path a viewer’s eyes take as
they look at the artwork.
Proportion and Scale
- Lines, edges, shapes, and colors can be
Proportion utilized by the artist to point the way
through an artwork as a map for our eyes to
- size relationship between the various parts follow.
of an artwork.
- Artists can use the scale and proportion to Variety
create sensations such as depth, realism,
- refers to the elements of a composition that
disorientation, and drama.
differ from one another. Variety creates
- An understanding of the scale of specific
visual interest and energy.
design elements on a single object; these
- A lot of variety can make an artwork look
elements include size, shape, texture, and
busy or overwhelming. When paired with
color.
unity, variety offers the viewer points of
- Concerned with the relationship between
interest.
parts of a whole.
Scale Contrast
- An understanding of how the size of one
object in a space relates to the size of the - refers to the arrangement of opposite
other objects in the space, as well as the size elements and effects. For example, light and
of the space itself. dark colors, smooth and rough textures,
- Also describes the size of an object in large and small shapes.
relation to the human figure; for example, - can be used to create variety, visual interest,
furniture is designed to human scale. and drama in an artwork.
Hierarchical Scale
- This is a technique used in art, most often in
sculpture and painting, in which the artist The Role of Context in Contrast
depicts objects with an unnatural scale to
show their importance or lack thereof. - Context is integral to contrast.
- This size manipulation draws the viewer’s - One may think that the chosen visual object
eye where the artist wants attention. in a composition says something about
 itself, but it is more often the visual Low
elements around it that give it its meaning. - Low - when you're looking at a scene from
much lower than you would standing up. For
instance, if you were sitting on a chair, had
LESSON 5: PERSPECTIVE crouched down onto your heels or, even
lower down, sitting on the grass.
Pictorial Representation High
- High - when you’re looking down on a
- Perspective helps make things look three
scene. You might be on a ladder, up a hill, or
dimensional – and creates a sense of space
on the balcony of a tall building.
receding into the distance.
- Perspective in art usually refers to the linear perspective
representation of three-dimensional objects
or spaces in two dimensional artworks - System of creating an illusion of depth on a
- Artists use perspective techniques to create a flat surface.
realistic impression of depth or they “play - Representation of an appearance of distance
with” perspective to present dramatic or by means of converging lines.
disorientating images. - As forms and objects recede, the smaller
- can also mean a point of view – the position they become. We were taught that parallel
from which an individual or group of people lines never meet. However, when they, too,
see and respond to, the world around them. seem to converge when they recede into a
- also deals with the effect of distance upon distance, at a point, they both disappear.
the appearance of objects, by means of This point of disappearance is called the
which the eye judges spatial relationships. vanishing point.
Pictorial representation can be changed One-Point Perspective
using a variety of methods: - Used in depicting roads, tracks, hallways, or
Chiaroscuro rows of trees.
- From the Italian words “chiaro” (light) and - Shows parallel lines that seem to converge
“scuro” (dark) at a specific and lone vanishing point, along
- Technique employed in the visual arts to the horizon line.
represent light and shadow to define three- Two- Point Perspective
dimensional objects. - Pertains to a painting or drawing that makes
- Making use of light and dark contrasts and use of two vanishing points which can be
tones to make paintings look three- placed anywhere along the horizon line.
dimensional and dramatic. - Often used in depicting structures such as
Viewpoint houses or buildings in the landscape that are
- A position or perspective from which viewed from a specific corner.
something is considered or evaluated. Three- Point Perspective
- The spot (point) from which the artist or - Viewer is looking at a scene either from
spectator is looking at (viewing) the scene. above or below.
- There's no right or wrong choice of - Makes use of the three vanishing points,
viewpoint; it's simply the first decision the each corresponding to each axis of the
artist makes when beginning to plan scene.
composition and figure out the perspective. aerial perspective

Normal - Representation of relative distances of

- how an adult sees the world when standing objects by gradations of tone and color.
up. When painting in a realistic style, this is - Objects become fainter in the distance due
the viewpoint you’ll probably use because to the atmosphere.
it’s what we're accustomed to seeing. It’s
what looks most real.
- Objects appear to be lighter in color and the
outline vaguer as they recede into the
distance in the atmosphere.

Foreshortening

- A facet of linear perspective which applies

directly to the human figure.
- Representation of objects or parts of the
body as smaller from the point of view of
the observer.
- The nearer an arm, limb, or body is placed at
right angles to the observer, the shorter it
looks.

forced perspective

- A technique which employs optical illusion

to make an object appear farther away,
closer, larger or smaller than it actually is.
- Manipulates human visual perception
through the use of scaled objects and the
correlation between them and the vantage
point of the spectator or camera.
- Has uses in photography, filmmaking, and
architecture.