Principles of

Design

emphasis

Emphasis is the area or place in a picture where your eyes instinctively

go when you FIRST view an image (also called the focal point). This area
attracts the viewer into the image and then allows their eyes to explore
the remainder of the image.

Sometimes artists create two or

three areas of emphasis in one
image. When there is more than
one area of interest, the artist
must emphasize which areas
should be dominant over the
others, producing a hierarchy of
emphasis to predict and maintain
viewer participation in your
composition. The subordinate
elements need to compliment the
primary area of emphasis while
giving the viewer more to explore.

This is an example of too

much going on. The emphasis
is everywhere at once, and it
results in chaos.

A few techniques artists use to create emphasis:

isolation

convergence

contrast

balance

repetition

the unusual/unexpected

balance

Balance is the
distribution of
visual weight
inside of a
composition.
Visual weight
means how
dominant each
area is compared
to the other areas
within that work
of art.

To create balance, look at a composition and evaluate the visual weight of all contents.
High-contrast objects have more visual weight than low-contrast objects. Even
negative space can have weight. In this work, the small, high contrast rocks are
balanced by the larger, subtle areas of color on the left.

The value, size, color, and spacial relationships

of each shape dictates the visual weight it
carries. For instance, a bright red square on a
gray background carries more visual weight
than a dull blue square on a gray background,
even though both squares are the same size.

Balance can be:

symmetrical and evenly balanced
asymmetrical and balanced
asymmetrical with planned tension

Types of Symmetry:

Bilateral

Approximate Bilateral
Symmetry (vertical axis)

Radial

Approximate Bilateral Symmetry

(horizontal axis).

This is an example of poorly executed balance. With

balance its usually best to either choose symmetry or
asymmetry, not making things almost symmetrical,
which usually looks like a mistake.

However, rules are made to be

broken if you know how to break them
effectively. These posters are
asymmetrical and unbalanced on
purpose, using planned tension. The
left poster is annoyingly unbalanced
just enough to make the viewer want
to flick the cigarette out of the poster.
The right one makes you worry that
the dog will wander off the page
which is the intent, to bring discomfort,
to make you want to take action.

CONtrast

An area or object which differs from its immediate surrounding environment. Contrast does not only
mean value contrast! Anything can differ in appearance from what is next to it, whether its a
difference in line, value, color, shape, space, or texture (any element can be contrasted). Creating
difference is a powerful way to create interest and draw the eye of the viewer into the image; in
other words, contrast creates emphasis.

It is important to
remember that
there is a difference
between contrast
and emphasis.
The distinction is that
contrast can create
emphasis,

Contrast in value

Contrast in color

BUT
there are also other ways
(besides contrast)
to create emphasis, such
as isolation, converging
lines, etc.

Contrast in texture

Contrast in shape and value

Keep this in mind

and it will help to
distinguish the two.

Depth

First of all, depth is a complete illusion in 2-dimensional art. Depth is

the illusion of three dimensional space on a two dimensional plane.
You can create the appearance of three dimensional space to make
the focal point LEAP off the page or PULL the viewer in.

Depth can be created in many ways:

by shading and modeling individual shapes to look 3-dimensional (chiaroscuro).
by the simple overlapping of objects, making parts of objects in front of other objects.
by scaling objects bigger or smaller according to their distance from the picture plane (perspective).

 by applying the rules of linear perspective.

 by contrasting areas of blurriness against sharp, focused detail for emphasis to create depth.

Finally, you can achieve depth through Atmospheric Perspective.

This means adjusting distant objects to become...
Lighter: Objects become lighter in value and hazy off in the distance.
Duller: Objects lose most of their color intensity off in the distance.
Bluer: Distant objects lean more toward blue the farther away you are.

This light blueish-gray appearance in the

distance is due to tiny particles of water
vapor and dust in the air. Bright green
trees become grayer and cooler as you
move farther away. Thats partly why warm
colors like red, orange, and yellow seem to
come closer, while blues and purples seem
to recede (fall backwards) away from us.

If youre photographing
a distant scene, you
could capture some
depth by including a
framing device in the
foreground. The object
included in the
foreground will probably
appear out of focus,
which is actually just like
real life.
People are in fact used
to seeing objects
blurred in real life since
our eyes cant focus on
everything at once. We
literally cant see the
detail in our peripheral
vision or background
when our eyes focus on
an object in front of us.

Today our audience automatically understands all these tricks on 2-D surfaces, for instance objects that
are larger are supposed to be closer, but this is a relatively new invention. Linear perspective was thought
up in the 1500s as a new device in art. Before that, the scale and proportions of shapes were only
enlarged to show importance, not depth. This is why drawings of Egyptian gods and political figures
appear much larger than common people. Beginning with the Renaissance, artists began training each
other in the connection between scale and the illusion of depth in 2-dimensional drawing and painting.

The School of Athens, painted in 1509 by Raphael

repetition
&

variety

The repetition of an idea, concept,

object or style in a composition
and the variation of that idea to
create interest.
To create repetition and variation
you repeat an object, idea, or
subject and then vary the object
slightly as it is repeated. The
difference creates interest.

Repetition & Variety Using

PATTERN&
RHYTHM
Pattern and
rhythm show
consistency
with the
elements of
design.
Rhythms can
be random,
regular,
alternating,
flowing, or
progressive.
Classes of
pattern include
mosaics,
lattices, spirals,
meanders,
waves,
symmetry and
fractals, among
others.

Putting a red
spiral at the
bottom left
and top
right, for
example, will
cause the
eye to move
from one
spiral, to the
other, and
everything in
between. It is
indicating
movement
by the
repetition of
elements.

Rhythm can
make an
artwork
seem active
and it can be
created or
disrupted.
Like a dance
rhythm will
have a flow
that will
seem to
almost be
like the beat
of music.

Tara Donovan

Unity & Harmony

Unity is having a singular feel without

interruption in an artwork. It demonstrates a
feeling of belonging and togetherness. If
part of your composition intrudes or doesnt
give the feeling that it belongs, it distracts
from the feeling of unity, such as a green
field with a small piece of litter in it, or
someones shadow in the bottom corner of
a scene. Distractions are the use of
contrast in a negative or unintended way.
Nate Mulroy

Harmony is when each distinct

object or element in a composition is
actively complimenting and
supporting the other elements or
objects, regardless of how different
they are. Color can produce harmony
as can repetitions of related shapes.
Even space can create harmony
when the spaces between shapes in
an artwork are uniform.

Linzy Bonner

Movement

In visual art disciplines such as photography, graphic design, painting, printmaking, sculpture, etc.
when we refer to movement, we speak of the movement of the eye, not the physical movement of
the art itself. The composition can be designed to take the viewers eye around the artwork
dynamically: in sharp, angular zigzags, flowing or sweeping curves, or cascading diagonals.

Laura Widerhofer

Eric Son