VISUAL WEIGHT waligore01

We manage visual weight in the composition by:

1) creating a sense of order;

2) selecting a system to create balance;

3) emphasizing elements in the composition by utilizing dominance and subordination,

by selecting primary, secondary, and even tertiary focal points; and

4) creating a pattern of movement in order to direct the viewer's eye through the composition.

UNITY is produced through the organization of elements in the composition to create a whole or total effect.

A balance between harmony and contrast is attained.

HARMONY can be created in a composition by repeating elements or characteristics that are similar.

CONTRAST or VARIETY is produced through the inclusion of opposite or diverse elements or characteristics.

PICTORIAL BALANCE : Our sense of equilibrium corresponds to

our understanding of gravitational and physical forces.

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE: introduces harmony

Bilateral symmetry, also known axial symmetry is found in the human body.

One side of the composition mirrors the other.

Approximate bilateral symmetry breaks from perfect symmetryby including

variations from the mirror image.

Radial symmetry is mirrored along both the horizontal and vertical axes.

Radial balance would include the spiral--often applied in a context where it is broken.

A bull's eye is an example of concentric balance, another form of radial symmetry.

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE: introduces contrast

Balance is attained through the careful positioning of elements of unequal visual weight.

This mechanism operates like a scale or a teetertotter.

The support for this balance, known as the fulcrum, is never seen;

however, the fulcrum must be strongly felt.

In general, heavier elements should be placed closer to the fulcrum

than lighter elements in order to achieve pictorial balance.

REPETITION occurs when the same visual element is used several times within a composition,

creating harmony. This repetition may produce a regular or irregular pattern.

Rhythm is a feeling of movement produced through the repetition of regulated visual units.

The illusion of movement can be introduced through the repetition of visual elements in a pattern,

especially when contrast of value or color is employed--i.e.stripes or checkerboard.

A time sequence can be created through a series of images that present a progression of events,

as in a cartoon or film strip.

The STRUCTURE of a composition can be visible or invisible; we may not see the lines that are

used to organize the composition. A composition with a formal structure is divided into equal or rhythmical parts,

as in the grid. The composition may retain a strong sense of regularity, following rigid and mathematically

derived guidelines. Variations of the standard grid include the reflecting grid and the sliding grid--as in a brick pattern.

A semiformal structure includes a regular structure with some irregularities. An informal structure is free and indefinite.

An inactive structure creates separate units that are conceptual; visual elements that lie within the

structural units are not affected by the structure. An active structure limits the elements in the composition

that are placed in the individual units. For example, the checkerboard is a structure that is active, as each unit

is marked by a change in value. If a circle is placed on the checkerboard so it overlapped two of the squares,

then it would be cropped. The circle is limited by its intersection with the grid.

Sources:

Donis A. Dondis, A Primer of Visual Literacy

Jack Fredrick Myers, The Language of Visual Art

Oevirk, Bone, Stinson, Wigg, Art Fundamentals

Duane and Sarah Preble, Artforms

Wucius Wong, Principles of Two-Dimensional Design