The principles of art (or the principles

of design) are essentially a set of

criteria which are used to explain
how the visual elements are
arranged in a work of art.
Pattern- is a very important
design concept which refers
to the visual arrangement of
elements with a repetitive
form or intelligible sequence
Joaquin Sorolla, Bacchante, 1886
Balance-is concerned with
the visual distribution or
weight of the elements in a
work of art.
Efim Volkov, Seascape, 1895
Emphasis- is a way of using
elements to stress a certain area in
an artwork. Emphasis is really just
another way to describe a focal
point in your artwork. In the
painting below, there is strong
emphasis on the moon through
the use of color contrast.
George Henry, River Landscape By Moonlight, 1887
Contrast is everything in art. Without it, an
artwork would be nothing but a blank
surface.
Contrast can come in many forms:

Texture contrast: A contrast between

smooth and textured. Many of Vincent
van Gogh's paintings are great examples
of texture contrast in action.
Color contrast- A contrast between
light and dark, saturated and dull or
complementary colors (hue contrast).
For example, in the painting below, the
highly saturated red contrasts against
the relatively dull colors in the rest of
the painting.
Joaquin Sorolla, Father Jofre Protecting A Madman, 1887
Rudolf von Alt, View Of Ragusa, 1841
Shape contrast -A contrast between
different shapes (rectangles and
circles). For example, in the painting
there are the curving shapes created
by the winding paths, water and trees
contrast against the rectangular
shapes of the buildings.
Willart Metcalf, Early Spring Afternoon, Central Park, 1911
Isaac Levitan, Oak Grove, Autumn, 1880
Harmony -is a bit vague
compared to some of the other
principles. Generally speaking, it
refers to how well all the visual
elements work together in a work
of art.
Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1908
George Henry, Noon, 1885
Tom Thomson, Maple Saplings, 1917
Joaquín Sorolla, Sea And Rocks - Javea, 1900
Frederick Judd Waugh, Breaking Surf
Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night Over The Rhone,
1888
Proportion-concerns the relationship
between the sizes of different parts in
an artwork. For example, the width
compared to the length, the area of
the sky compared to the land or the
area of foreground compared to
the background.
Giovanni Boldini, A Guitar Player, 1873