Principles of Design

Asymmetrical Balance

Asymmetrical balance is when balance is achieved in a composition when neither side reflects or mirrors the other. The asymmetrical balance is balance that does not weigh equally on both sides, as in James Mcneil Whistler's 1872 oil painting, Nocturne in Blue & Gold:  Old Battersea Bridge.  The bridge pile is slightly left of the center and is balanced with the smaller boat and figure.



Repetition/Rhythm

When the same element or shape is repeated over and over again in a composition a visual rhythm results.

Contrast/Variety

Contrast is the opposition or juxtaposition of different forms, lines, or colors in a work of art to intensify each element's properties and produce a more dynamic expressivenessas as in Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1874 oil painting "La Loge" The Theater Box, where he contrasts the difference between white and black.

Visual Movement

Visual movement is the the direction or flow in artwork or the path that our eyes follow when we look at a work of art.  This also refers to an implied motion the arrangement of elements in an image that create a sense of motion by using lines, shapes, forms, and textures that cause the eye to move over the work.  In Henry Matisse 1909 painting Dance 1, the women seem to be dancing in a circle, starting with the left direction switching to the right direction.

Scale and Proportion

Proportion is the relationship of parts to each other and a whole work, scale is the relative size of an object compared with the others of its kind or setting. The relative size of elements against each other can attract attention to a focal point. When elements are designed larger than life, scale is being used to show drama and amusement, as in Rene Magritte 1952 painting Personal Values. 

Emphasis

Emphasis is the principle of creating a centered interest in an art work, often achieved by color contrast and by lines.  The artist makes part of the work stand out, in order to draw the viewer's eye there first.

Jan Steen placed the emphasis on the youngest daughter of the family in the 1665 oil painting "The Feast of Saint Nicholas."  He painted a golden child, in a golden smock and showing golden locks of hair.