Principles of Art

1
Principles of Art

• balance, emphasis, harmony, variety, gradation,
  movement, rhythm, proportion

2
Balance

• A way of combining elements to add a feeling of
  equilibrium or stability to a work of art
• Symmetrical balance means formal balance two
  halves of a work are identical
• Asymmetrical balance is more informal
• Radial balance occurs when objects are positioned
  around a central point.

3
Emphasis

• Also called contrast
• A way of combining elements to stress the
  differences between those elements

Georgia Mills Jessup. A Rainy Night Downtown.
1967 Oil on canvas.
4
Harmony

• A way of combining similar elements in an artwork
  to accent their similarities

Liubov Popova. Painterly Architectronics.
1918. Oil on cardboard.
5
Variety

• A way of combining elements in involved ways to
  create intricate and complicated relationships.
• A picture may be made up of many different hues,
  values, lines, textures, shapes, etc.

Max Weber. Chinese Restaurant. 1915. Oil on
canvas.
6
Gradation

• A way of combining elements by using a series of
  gradual changes in those elements.
• May be a gradual change from a dark hue to a
  light one, or from a small shape to a large one.

Antonio M. Ruiz. School Children on Parade.
1936. Oil on canvas.
7
Movement

• The principle of art used to create the look and
  feeling of action or motion.
• Guides the viewers eye throughout the work of
  art.
• Also used to direct
• the viewers eye to
• the center of interest.

8
Rhythm

• The careful placement of repeated elements in a
  work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat.
• Invite the viewers eye to jump rapidly or glide
  smoothly from one element to the next.

Marcel Duchamp. Nude Descending a Staircase 2.
1912. Oil on canvas.
9
Proportion

• The principle of art concerned with the
  relationship of certain elements to the whole and
  to each other.
• Very similar to emphasis- with proportion, the
  large shape is emphasized and is dominant

Kingdom of Benin, Edo people, Nigeria. Mounted
King with Attendants. 16th-17th century. Bronze.
10
The Design Chart

• Helps you identify the many possible
  relationships between elements and principles in
  works of art.
• See the Design Chart on page 46 of the text.