Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tuesday Class - Design Elements & Principles Notes
Tuesday Class - Design Elements & Principles Notes
GROUP 1
Hue is the name of the colour, and can be primary (red, blue and yellow), secondary (mix of two primaries)
or intermediate (primary and adjacent secondary). think colour wheel.
- central fulcrum
- placement of objects
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Rhythm
- visual temp / beat
- regular repetition of elements
- produce feel of movement
Rhythm can be achieved through,
1. careful placement of repeated components
2. directed - along edges , shape, colour
5 Categories of Rhythm
1. Random
2. Regular
3. Alternating
4. Progressive
5. Flowing
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Emphasis
- give importance
- special attention given to a part
- achieved through,
a. placement
b. contrast
c. colour
d. size
e. repetition
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contrast
- juxtaposition of different elements
GROUP 2
Design Elements
Line: Continuous mark of varying appearances (curved, straight) and thickness.
In design it is often incorporated with other elements.
It can be used to create a shape, tone, form or texture.
Thick continuous lines are used to show visible parts of an object whilst thin dashes are usedto represent hidden
details.
Bold heavy or coloured lines: lead the eye in visual communication or highlight and emphasise important text in a
docuemnt
- In freehand drawing, softlines are used to show organic subject matter.
- In rendering tecniques, crpsshatching contours are used to show form or tone
Line can create texture and pattern and is used extensively at the beginning of the design process to generate quick
freehand sketches
-In thumbline sketches, lines are used quick and efficient method to express ideas
Texture
quality of surface
object/material visual appearance is drawn
when drawing an object can combine other elements (line, point, colour, tone)
by showing the texture you define the object visually
emphasises the quality of the surface
Colour
Design Principals
Balance
Emphasis
Contrast
* where two or more elements that have opposite qualities are placed together ie. black v white
* Enhances eye catching notion of image. Attracts taregt audience and lead eye to specific area
* Contrast font to separate info, contrast color to make sections stand out
Proportion
* relationship between components - scale
Pattern
* repition of a point, line or shape
* used to create visual impact
* used to create decoration
* creates surface design
Movement
* objects appear to be mvoing in image
* examples include use of diagonal lines, chnage in lightness/darkness of image
Dominance
* creates interest, confusion and monotony
* vary degree of emphasis in a design
* determines weight of compostion, establishes space and perspective and initial eye catching
* 3 stages in relation to weight
- dominant - most weight
- sub-dominant - secondary emphasis
- subordinate - least weight
GROUP 3
Elements of design: the tools to make art
1. Line: Lines are single dimensional features that can be used in a variety of ways, thick, thin, straight curved,
consistent or broken. Are inherantly abstract, but foundational
2. Shape: Shapes are two dimensional features which allow for simply symbolic recognition, can be represented by
either geometric, or natural.
3. Form: Forms are three dimensional features which allow for the greatest level of complexity, In graphic design
Forms are made by illusion on shapes
4. Colour: The system in which wavelengths of light are recognised/ interpreted and differentiated by our eyes and
brains. Also differentiated by the intensity from pitch dark to blinding white
5. Texture: A tactile sense which can vary from smooth to jagged. Can also refer to a visual texture, which is usually
created by adding colour to form.
6 Space: area around, within, between an image. Involves positive and negative space. Relates to perspective
7. Value: The darkness or lightness of a colour. Adding white = tint. Adding black = shade.
Principles of design: how to use the tools to make art
8. Pattern: a regular pattern where an image or element is repeated
9. Contrast: the juxtaposition of different elements and design to highlight differences, create texture and focal points
10. Emphasis: Special attention/importance given to one part of a work of art. Related to focal point. Can be
achieved through: placement, contrast, colour, size, repetition.
11. Balance - A sense of balance between the objects of a design. Symmetry/asymmetry used to give one element
more or less importance
12. Proportion/scale - Difference in the number or size of an element
13. Harmony - The appearance that all objects within the design fit together and form part of a coherent
design
14. Rhythm/Movement - There are 5 kinds or rhythm: random, regular, alternating, progressive, and flowing.
The use of recurring images can be used to guide the movement of the viewers eyes through the design
GROUP 4
Elements of Design
Need to know the elements of deisgn before you start. All the components are important
Just because you buy the software doesn't make you an expert
Principles tell us how we should organise elements
Using everything effectively will allow you to create great graphic designs
Six elements of design
-Line
-Alone or with other lines and shapes they can aid in the readibility and message of your design
-Lots of different types of lines e.g. long or short, horizontal, dashed, thick, thin, curved, straight, etc
-Vertical lines give a feeling of loftiness and extended lines give a feeling of overpowering grandeur
-Shape or form
-Space
-Texture
-Value
-Colour
shapes
eg leaves
abstract shapes are styalised or over simplified versions of shapes found ni nature
symbols found on signs
the area which contains all the elements you have added to your design
Negative Space
- refers to the shpaes around and between those objects and elements
- gives place for eyes to rest, which is needed in order for the message you're tryong to communicate to be
absorbed
-can refer tho the actual surface of the design with the reader actually being able to feel the texture of teh
paper and the materials in the printed design
- can be implied with use of rich layered graphics designed to give the illusion of texture in a 2D design
- it is the contrast between black and white and all the tones inbetween
-create images
- attract attention
-identify objects
GROUP 5
Elements:
LINE - deliniates or creates form and shape
shape - refers to the area of a 2D object. can be geometric or organic (circle/square/blob...)
form -refers to a 3D object (eg sculpture) or an object that appears to be 3D (eg an image that looks 3D)
colour- self explanatory
texture - the surgace of an object/plane - rough/smooth/corrugated/shiny/metallic/scaly....
space - refers to how objects relate to each other visually - e.g. look at a flag, how do the different shapes relate to
each other? are they close together or far apart Refers to positive and negative space. Positive space = full ; negative
space = empty space
value - aka tone/hue. How dark or light a shape/object is. Creates the illusion of form in a 2D image.Pay attention to
direction of lightsource ni etermining where the object should be light and where it should be darkest
Shape +Value = Form
Principles
Unity - being united or joined as a whole
Repitition - an object used multiple times
Heirachy -which objects take precedence over the others? what's the main focal point, then wehre does your eye go?
trace the path your eye takes - that is often a good way to determine heirarchy of objects in an image
Variation - change or slight difference in condition, amount, or level, typically within certain limits
Contrast - being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association
pattrern - Regular arrangement of repeated elements (shapes,lines) or motifs
emphasis -which object / area is emphasised, how, why? can be through any of the elements
balance - asymmetrical / symmetrical; is one side of the image full and the other empty? then it's not balanced. all
sides should have suimialr weights so it looks balanced.
proportion/scale - relationship betweeen the sizes of objects including the relationships of parts to the whole.
harmony
rhythm/movement