PRINCIPLES & ELEMENTS
OF 2-D DESIGN
Gustave Courbet, The Desparate Man, 1845, Oil on canvas
Composition
• The way that lines, shapes and other visual elements
are arranged;
• Refers to the organization, arrangement, and
combination of shapes on a flat surface (picture plane, space)
Henri Matisse
Elizabeth Murray
Visual elements:
Line, shape, color, value, texture
Identify the elements of art used to compose the artworks above. Also, check
some additional helpful information in the notes section underneath the slide.
Principles:
Unity, variety, balance,
movement and rhythm,
proportion, scale, emphasis,
economy
Bridget Riley
Susan Hauptman
Identify the principle used to compose the artworks above. Also, check some
additional helpful information in the notes section underneath the slide.
1. Unity
and
Variety
Unity: The quality of
relating the visual
elements to create
compositional cohesion
or oneness.
Variety: Differences
achieved by opposing,
contrasting, or varying
the elements in a
composition to add
interest.
(Variety is the
counterweight of
harmony.)
Mark Riedy, Day at the Beach, 1988, Acrylic airbrush
Marcos Chin, Falling Off the Workout Wagon
How unity/harmony is achieved in above images? Identify elements that differ. How they affect the compositions?
Gestalt
visual information is understood holistically before it is understood separately
Hieronymous Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights, ca. 1500, Oil on Panel
What gestalt principles are at use in this richly composed artwork?
Gestalt Principles
• Grouping
• Containment
• Repetition
• Proximity
• Continuity
• Closure
Edgar Degas
Which Gestalt principles are at work in this image?
Martin Handford, Where’s Waldo
Repetition, repetition, repetition, …
Vija Celmins, Untitled (Ocean), 1970, Graphite
Patterns and Grids
Bridget Riley, Fragments, 1965, Screenprint
Piet Mondrian, Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow,
1930, Oil on Canvas
2. Balance
KWEST, Toronto, 2016
Balance: A stable arrangement of subjects within a composition; an equilibrium
of weight or force among visual components in a composition.
How is this image balanced?
April Gornik
How is this image balanced?
Sally Mann
How is this image balanced?
Weight/Gravity
Visual weight of compositional
elements has a particular affect
on balance in a work of art.
Shapes that “weigh visually
more” help create hierarchy in
terms of space occupied and
position in relation to
compositional frame and other
elements within the image.
Ansel Adams, El Capitan, Undated, photo
Symmetry
Richard Estes, Shinjuku, 1989, Oil on canvas
Asymmetrical Balance
Edward Hopper “Nighthawks”
3. Proportion
Andrew Wyeth, Christina’s World, 1948, Tempera
The comparative relationship between the parts of a design
to the whole in terms of size.
How is the principle of proportion
applied in this artwork?
Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park No. 86, 1975
4. Scale
Alex “Hense” Brewer
A size relationship between two separate objects relative to a
constant standard of measure. (Often related to human dimensions.)
5. Rhythm
A visual flow or sense of movement in a
design that is created by repetition of
multiple units in a deliberate pattern.
(Relates to Movement : The use of
deliberate visual pathways to help direct
the viewer’s attention to areas of
particular interest.)
Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, 1912,
Oil on Canvas
6. Emphasis
Emphasis (Also known as Dominance)
The principle in which certain elements
assume more importance than others in the
same composition or design.
Elmer Bishoff, Orange Sweater, 1955
Raphael, Transfiguration, 1520, Tempera
6. Economy
Apple, Ipod, mid 2000s, advertisement
Kathe Kollowitz, Self portrait, 1935, Charcoal
The distillation of the image to the basic essentials for clarity
of presentation.
(Using only what is needed to create an intended affect.)
Robert Longo
Kerry James Marshall, De Style, Acrylic and Collage on canvas
After learning all about the elements and principles of design and seeing their
application, try now to analyze the artwork above. Use all the knowledge you acquired
from the readings and this presentation.