DESIGN PRINCIPLES - WEEK 2: EMPHASIS & BALANCE
Rifath Ali (0335738)
Design Principles
Exercises
LECTURE NOTES
Lecture 02: Emphasis & Balance
Emphasis is used to create dominance and focus in a design work. Elements such as color, shapes or value can be used to create emphasis and achieve dominance.
Fig. 1.01: Emphasis
Balance refers to distribution of visual weight in a work of design. Balance can he symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Symmetrical Balance has equal weight on equal sides of a centrally placed fulcrum. When the elements are arranged on either side of the central axis, it results in bilateral balance. Meanwhile, arranging elements equally around a central point results in radial balance. Approximate symmetry is when the elements are equivalent but not identical when arranged around the fulcrum line.
Fig. 1.02: Balance; Bilateral Balance
Fig. 1.03: Balance; Radial Balance
Fig. 1.04: Balance; Approximate Symmetry
Asymmetrical Balance involves placement of objects in a way that will allow objects of varying visual weight to balance one another around a fulcrum point.
Fig. 1.05: Balance; Asymmetrical Balance
INSTRUCTIONS
Exercises: Emphasis & Balance
Part A: Emphasis
We were asked to create a design with the principle of emphasis in mind. I have always liked minimal designs and I decided to create a minimal poster for the movie “Gravity”.
Fig. 2.01: Emphasis, Inspiration 1; Gravity Poster
I worked on a digital sketch and showed it to Miss Anis for feedback.
Fig. 2.02: Emphasis; Digital Sketch 1
However, Miss Anis pointed out that it looks too much like the actual poster. So, I decided to use a different concept. This time I decided to use size as a tool to create emphasis. I took inspiration from an artwork I found.
Fig. 2.03: Emphasis; Inspiration 2
I came up with another digital sketch and consulted with Miss Anis. She approved the following design.
Fig. 2.04: Emphasis; Digital Sketch 2
I started the process with tracing the sketch on a plain paper.
Fig. 2.05: Emphasis; Process 1
Since I did not have any color pencils with me, I decided to shade it using a pencil.
Fig. 2.06: Emphasis; Process 2
Fig. 2.07: Emphasis; Process 3
Fig. 2.07: Emphasis; Process 4
Part B: Balance
For the design with the principle of balance, I decided to trace an image of a Bird of Paradise Flower I had in my gallery. But I traced it in a way that is becomes Approximately symmetrical.
Fig. 2.08: Balance; Inspiration
Fig. 2.09: Balance; Digital Trace
Miss Anis approved the trace and recommended that I rotate the flower diagonally. I did as instructed and drew the flower on a plain paper.
Fig. 2.10: Balance; Process 1
This time I traced over the pencil with a pen and used lines to add details to the flower.
Fig. 2.11: Balance; Process 2
Fig. 2.12: Balance; Process 3
Fig. 2.13: Balance; Process 4
Final Artwork
Emphasis
Fig. 2.14: Emphasis, Final Artwork; Fallen Giants
Fig. 2.15: Balance, Final Artwork; Bird of Paradise
FEEDBACK
For my first design for Emphasis, Miss Anis pointed out that the design looks too much like the actual movie poster of Gravity. She liked my second design and approved it for final artwork. For Balance, she really liked the flower and recommended that I rotate it diagonally to make the reflective axis more obvious.
REFLECTIONS
While looking through existing artworks, I saw the same principles of design being applied in many different ways. It made me understand how to use these techniques myself. Since I did not have any color pencils with me, I was able to experience shading and using ink and lines to fill a design.
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