Principles of Art and Design

Meaning and Nature of the
Principles of Art and Design

 The principles of art and design are the foundation in creating an art.
 The use of this principles will tell us whether and art is successful and beautiful
and whether or not the painting is finished.
 The artist has the right to choose which principles of design he wants to use in
his art work.
 The proper arrangement of the different art elements in order to produce something
beautiful is called design.
 Elements of arts are parts of a whole while perceptions of art design are rules of
guides to help one put these elements together.
• Harmony
• Rhythm • Proportion
• Balance • Emphasis • Pattern
• Movement • Unity/Variety • Utility, Adaptability,
• Novelty of Newness or Function
• Contrast
HARMONY
Harmony is the principle which produces an impression of unity through the selection and
arrangement of consistent objects or ideas. It is the quality which unifies every part of an arrangement. If
there is harmony, there is order. Every orderly arrangement is harmonious.
There are five (5) aspects of harmony:

a. Harmony of lines and shapes – Lines are made harmonious by either repeating the shape of the lines
or by connecting transitional lines to contrasting lines.
b. Harmony of size – Harmony of size refers to good proportion.
c. Harmony of color – Creating harmony of color means using two or more colors in decorating an article or object.
d. Harmony of texture – The character of texture can be determined by feeling the object with the fingertips or
by looking at it.
e. Harmony of idea – Combining antique and modern furniture in the same room does not show harmony of idea.
A store window displaying dresses, hardware and school supplies would be a very poor display.
In design, Rhythm is the regular, uniform, or related visual movement made through
the repetition of a unit or motif. A unit or motif is a dominant feature or part repeated
in a design or decoration.
Repetition of a unit creates a

feeling of movement of rhythm.
All structural elements may be
repeated to suggest movement.
However, not all movements
in a design is rhythmical.
In nature, we find various rhythmical shapes such as
those of snowflakes, shells, vegetables, trees,
flowers, leaves,
Rhythm is not only applied to the
graphic arts (drawing, printing,
and painting) but also architecture,
music, textiles, laces, furniture,
glassware, dresses, gardening etc. Rhythm is classified into formal and informal. Formal or
uniform rhythm is the repetition of a motif with variation
in its form, size and arrangement.
Balance is a condition or quality which gives a feeling of rest, repose, equilibrium, or stability.
Mathematically, objects are balanced when they have equal physical weights and are placed equally distant from
a common center or axe. In art, we do not exactly arrange objects of equal physical weights or sizes to produce balance.
It is the visual weights of lines, forms, values, textures and colors that we really balance.
Visual weight is the quality which gains and holds attention. In other words, it is the power of attraction of each of the
elements of art.
Formal or Symmetrical Balance Informal or Asymmetrical

- Is the balance of equal visual - Is the balance of unequal visual weights, the
weights placed at equal heavier one being nearer the axis and the lighter
distance from the one farther. It is sometimes referred to as
axis. occult balance and free balance.
PROPORTION
Proportion is the art of principle which shows pleasing relationship between a whole and its parts and
between the parts themselves. It can be achieved through proper arrangement of space divisions.
Proportion are generally expressed in terms of ratios.
There are three (3) aspects of proportion:
 Proportion in the groupings of objects
 Proportion in space divisions
 and scales
The Parthenon, a building in Athens, Greece,

is considered the most perfectly proportioned
Architectural Structure in the world.
Emphasis is the principle of art which tends to carry the eyes from the center of interest or
dominant part of any composition to the less important or subordinate part.
“What things should be emphasized?”

- It depends upon the artist’s purpose. It may be the outline, form, color, texture, size,
idea, or value of an object.
The least thing that should be emphasized in any arrangement or composition is the background.
Hence, it must be plain and should not be more conspicuous than the objects placed before it.
Methods of Emphasizing Objects

a. By arrangement or grouping of objects – If objects are grouped together, the one to be emphasized
should be located at the center and should be the biggest and brightest in color.
b. By decoration – Objects which have decoration are given more emphasis than those without
them.
c. By color contrast – The use of contrasting values makes one value more dominant than the other.
Movement is the result of
using the elements of art that
they move the viewer’s eye
around and within the image.
Pattern is the uniform repetition of any of the elements of art
or any combination thereof. Anything can be turned into a
pattern through repetition. Some classic patterns are spirals,
grids and weaves.
You want your painting to feel unified such that
all the elements fit together comfortably. Too
much unity creates monotony, too much
variety creates chaos. You need both.
A new style of dress appears more
attractive and interesting than ordinary
dress design. Novelty provides the
best opportunity for developing one’s
creative ability.
UTILITY, ADAPTABILTY, or FUNCTION
A work of art must not only possess
beauty but also utility. The object
must be adaptable to the purpose
for which it is made.
CONTRAST
This art principle is synonymous to
opposition or contradiction. It has
some relationships with balance and
emphasis. Two contrasting lines or
colors may balance with each other.
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is also called the “rule of thumb”.
This is a guideline which appears to the process of
composing visual images like designs, films,
paintings, and photographs.
The guideline proposes that an image must be

imagined as divided into nine equal parts by
two equally spaced horizontal lines and two
equally spaced vertical lines.
The proponents of this technique claim that aligning

a subject with these points creates more
tension, energy, and intent in the
composition than simply
centering the subject.
PRINCIPLES of ART and DESIGN
should not be taken lightly. Even if you don’t want to
be an artist, this principles will help you appreciate arts better.

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Meaning and Nature of the

Principles of Art and Design

There are five (5) aspects of harmony:

Repetition of a unit creates a

Formal or Symmetrical Balance Informal or Asymmetrical

There are three (3) aspects of proportion:

 Proportion in the groupings of objects

 Proportion in space divisions

The Parthenon, a building in Athens, Greece,

“What things should be emphasized?”

Methods of Emphasizing Objects

The guideline proposes that an image must be

The proponents of this technique claim that aligning

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