This document discusses key principles of design including pattern, balance, movement, rhythm, emphasis, contrast, and unity. Pattern is the repetition of elements within a composition. Balance can be formal, informal, or radial. Movement is created through organized arrangement of elements. Rhythm is the repetition of visual elements. Emphasis creates dominance through contrasting elements. Contrast creates visual interest through differences. Unity makes a work feel complete through cohesive elements.

1. Final Review
Principles of
Design
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Pattern
Balance
Movement
Rhythm
• Emphasis
• Contrast
• Unity/Harmony

2. PaTtErN
• A repeating of an element within a
composition or section of composition
• Examples: Repeated shapes within a quilt;
repeated arch ways on the façade of a
building; strips or spots on an animal

3. *Many animals have many
different patterns on their body
created by stripes and/or spots

4. Notre Dame Cathedral
Paris, France

5. • Chrysler Building, New
York, New York
William Van Allen

6. *Artists use Pattern within their artwork to add
excitement and movement to the composition
•
Chuck Close, Emma
detail of
selection

7. •
Jasper Johns, Numbers in Color

9. Balance
• Balance in visual art can be formal,
informal and radial.
• Formal balance places equal or very
similar objects on either side of a central
axis.
• In radial balance, equal or similar
objects radiate from a central point.
• Informal balance is a balance of unlike
objects.

10. Formal Balance: Symmetry

11. Informal Balance: Asymmetry

12. Radial Balance

13. Movement
• Visual direction created by elements of Art
arranged in an organized way
• This can be achieved by using Pattern or
repeated a single shape several times

15. Rhythm
• Rhythm is the repetition of visual
movement – colors, shapes, or lines
• Variety is essential to keep Rhythms
exciting and active to the viewer

16. •
Marcel Duchamp,
Nude Descending a
Staircase

19. Emphasis
• Emphasis is used to create dominance
and focus in an artwork
• Artists can emphasize color, value,
shapes, or other art elements to achieve
dominance
• Various kinds of contrast can be used to
emphasize a center of interest

22. Contrast
• Contrast refers to differences in
values, colors, textures, shapes, and
other elements
• Contrasts create visual excitement
and add interest to the work
• If all the art elements are the same, the
result is unexciting and boring to the
viewer

23. Value Scale
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

26. Unity/Harmony
• Unity provides the cohesive quality that
makes an artwork feel complete and
finished
• Unity is achieved when all the elements in
a work look as though they belong
together
• One way to do this is by clustering
elements together within an artwork

28. • What Elements
make these Unified
and Harmonious???

29. Let’s point out all or as many Principles of Design as
possible in Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper.
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Pattern, Balance, Movement, Rhythm, Emphasis, Contrast,
Unity