CHAPTER 3

Principles of Composition
 Unity
• The quality of wholeness or oneness that is
achieved through the effective use of the
elements and principles of design. A totality
that combines all of its parts into one
complete, cohesive whole.
• How has the artist created a sense of unity in
this painting?

Seurat,
Georges
A Sunday
Afternoon
on the Island
of La Grande
Jatte
1884-86
Oil on canvas
• Established when the
elements in a design look
as though they belong
together
• One of the primary goals
of composition –
establishing an
integrated whole, rather
than unrelated parts Packaging Design firm:
Louise Fili Ltd.
Unity—Correspondence
• When you repeat an
element like color,
direction, value, shape,
or texture, or establish a
style, like a linear style,
you establish a visual
connection or
correspondence among Poster Design firm:
the elements. Concrete Design Communications
Unity—Grid
• A grid is a guide — a modular compositional
structure made up of verticals and horizontals
that divide a format into columns and margins.
• It may be used for single-page formats or multi-
page formats.

Unity—Alignment
Visual connections can be made between and
among elements, shapes, and objects when
their edges or axes line up with one another.
Unity—Flow
• Elements should be arranged so that the
audience is led from one element to another
through the design.
• Flow is also called movement and is connected
to the principle of rhythm.
HARMONY

Harmony can be defined as the pleasing arrangement of the various

parts or a combination of parts to make a good composition. The
principle of harmony is to carefully select elements that share common
Traits (characteristics) such as shape, colour, texture, or material, or even
variety in a single characteristic.

• HARMONY means pictorial elements of the same type that “go” together.
• HARMONY can be made where the eye is used to seeing objects together, so they
form a group eg. flower pot and plants.
• HARMONY can create feelings, similar elements can seem calm and pleasing eg. Blues
and greens, rectangles and squares or groups of organic shapes, while contrasting
elements create energy, vitality, tension or anger eg. triangles with circles and squares
Sharing a common trait or characteristic:
Elements can share common characteristics such as a common
• Size
• Shape
• Orientation
• Colours and values
• Materials
• Detail characteristics
When harmony is over emphasized in buildings it will result in a
unified but
uninteresting composition. Variety, when used too much to create
interest, may
result in visual chaos or confusion. The careful way to create interests
by creating a
proper balance between order and disorder.
Introducing variety by various means
Given a set of identical shapes, variety can be introduced by
varying the
• Size
• Texture
• Orientation
• Detail characteristics
• Colour

Set of same shapes

Varying shapes
Varying texture

Varying orientation

Varying detail
characteristics

Varying colour
Harmony through colour
Harmony can be brought out by colour. One way is to use related colours i.e.,
colours that appear together the colour wheel or colours having the same hue.
For example, brown, gold and yellow are related colours.

Harmony through texture

Harmony can be created using texture by matching the textural quality, say by
carving and ribbing.
Harmony in tones
Tones can be harmonious only in the sense of having the same tonal values. For example,
harmony in tonal values can be brought out in a single building constructed with stone of
one colour, but two different textures, one with a smooth finish and other with a rough
finish. When two materials such as brick work and concrete are used together, there exists
variety in colour, texture and tone.

Harmony through proportion

Harmony in direction
Harmony in direction literally means using the same directions. The direction of the total
building shape must relate to the directions of the elements within the building. An equal
effect of direction will impart visual balance.

Empire State Building Chicago Tribune

Principles of harmony
Variety and interest should be brought out
in a composition to create harmony and
unity. Symmetrical arrangements can
incorporate a variety of shapes, colours
and textures into their layouts.

In any pattern of arrangement of various

elements, dissimilar characteristics may
be present. Dissimilar objects can be
arranged in a asymmetrical way.
Harmony can be produced by elements that have a common characteristic. It can
also be produced with similar elements having a variety of individual or unique
characteristics.

This is an example of how variety can be introduced among a group of objects

with similar dimensions by varying contours and other details.
Another method for arranging dissimilar
elements is to simply group or arrange
them in close proximity to one another
or relate them to a common line, plane
or edge. The plane can be an overhead
plane or just a vertical plane, which
could be a wall acting as a backdrop.
Other elements placed far away do not
form elements of a group.

One more method of creating harmony

in the composition is by using a
Continuous line.
CONTRAST

• CONTRAST means pictorial elements that stand

out because they are not alike eg. squares and
circles and triangles. Red, yellow and blue contrast
as they are so dissimilar.
• CONTRAST can be made by putting objects
together that do not normally “go” together and
therefore make each other stand out more, than
they would separately.
• CONTRAST gives variety and makes the elements
more lively.
A design principle that emphasizes differences between the art elements.

The human eye functions in such a way that it can perceive or understand more
than one difference between contrasting objects at the same time.
For example, a painting may have bright colors that contrast with dull colors or
angular shapes that contrast with rounded shapes

Sharp contrast draws attention and can direct a viewer to a focal point within a
work of art.

Visual monotony is the opposite of contrast. For example, if we consider a street

elevation, there are buildings with different forms, heights, and purposes.
The eye is able to see and understand all these differences simultaneously.
Our eyes are used to such
differences and changes.
 Without these contrasts visual tiredness
and lack of concentration will result.
When human beings are placed in an
environment that is static and lacks variety,
they experience feelings of monotony
and depression.

On the other hand, too much change can cause contrast and
confusion and an Impression of lack of orderliness. Contrast in design
can be
created by various means.
In this work we see sharp lines and shapes against
softer lines and shapes. We also see sharp
contrast between colors.
In Spiral of Emotion by Joseph Perkins we see a
sharp contrast between darks and lights which he
has balanced out with some middle tones.
Contrast by mass
There can be a contrast in the way the various forms are arranged
• Contrast between vertical and horizontal forms
• Contrast of direction
• Contrast of projecting and receding.

• Contrast in direction can be achieved between an upright slab and a low

horizontal mass, both of which are placed at right angles to each other.
• Contrast can be achieved between projecting and receding masses which
are rhythmically super imposed over each other.
Contrast by light and shade
Any object with an architectural space can be identified with the light & shadow
effect. The quality of mass and space can be emphasized by creating deep
Shadows and brilliantly lighted surfaces.
Every opening, projection and recess creates a shadow. The presence of shadow
makes the adjacent area look brighter in contrast. By changing the shadows,
different surface effects can be created. The effect of light and shade can occur
Only When there is excessive natural light falling on the particular area. This
light and Shade effect depends on the climate, as, e.g., during the rainy
season natural light will be dim and dull.

Contrast in direction, texture and mass

These aspects can be well appreciated in “Falling Water”, USA. The building was
designed F.L.Wright.
This design is famous because of its imaginative use of materials and the great
sense of vitality it conveys. The bold, floating, horizontal cantilevers in the
balconies contrast with the main vertical mass in direction and texture. The
whole fits into and yet contrasts with the beautiful natural setting. It is probably the
delighted use of the stone, trees and water which gives this structure such a
dramatic quality. There are also a number of minor rhythms and contrasts in the
fenestration (arrangement of windows), steps and structural forms, which
adds to the composition and makes it interesting.

Contrast in shape, tone & height

The best example of this kind of contrast is
The Russian church in which contrast is
seen in shapes, between arches and in
pinnacles. Contrast in tone, height and detail
characteristics is seen in the middle pinnacle
which is taller than the rest.
The multiple repetition of the lower arch forms the building up to a crescendo in the
5 domed pinnacles. The middle one, being slightly higher, richer and crested, is an
example of repetition of shapes contrasting with another group of shapes, using
distinctive and unifying forms with a string contrast of tone. The importance of the
composition is enhanced by the rich guilding of the domes and the duration
and piercing of the visual elements.

Contrast in form, tone and colour

The best example of this is the Chateau De Chambord
in France. The fenestration of the three main floors
gives a strong emphasis reflecting the over form of the
building. Above these floors the roof provides
contrast in form, tone and colour. The repeating
domed roof pinnacles, chimney groups and
dormer type windows give an impression the
busy cluster of elements arising from relatively
simple, functional or structural elements.
• Emphasis (Dominance)
• DOMINANCE is about the focus given to a part of a
work of art.
• DOMINANCE helps to create UNITY as the eye is
attracted to a key point then led around the image
by pictorial elements.
• DOMINANCE can be created by contrasting
pictorial elements such as line, shape, tone,
texture, direction, size or colour.
• DOMINANCE and BALANCE work together to bring
out UNITY.
• Any forcefulness that gives importance or
weight to some feature or features of an
artwork…often, emphasized elements are
used to direct and focus attention on the
most important parts of a composition — its
focal point.
DOMINANCE
Dominance may be provided by one colour, tone or texture being visually stronger
than the remaining. That is, one effect should be more dominant than the other.
Dominance is an aspect of unity. It could be established with respect to
• Direction
• Relationship between solid and void.

Dominance in direction
If the horizontal mass is collectively much stronger than the vertical, then it means the
dominance of horizontality. It can also be the other way around, where the vertical is
much stronger than the horizontal. This means the dominance of verticality.

Dominance of horizontality: this concept is well explained in the structure of City

Theater, Helsinki, Finland. Strong dominance of horizontality is reflected by the roof
line and overhang, with contrast from the columns. The directional emphasis is
reinforced by the use of strongly ribbed cladding tile, which can be seen to run
horizontally on the eaves soffit, on the beams linking the column heads, vertically on
the columns and on the solid parts of the wall behind it.
Dominance of verticality: this concept is well
understood from the structure of the flats of Bremen,
designed by Alto. The building as such as a
Dominant vertical composition. Contrast is
provided by the horizontal emphasis of the
fenestration.

Dominance in the relationship between solid and void

When solid and void are used in a building, there should be dominance of solid
over void or void over solid to give a composition which has unity. Unity cannot
exist with visually equal elements.

The relationship between solid and void can be seen in the structure of the
Cemetery Chapel in Turku, Finland. The dominance of solid material
Contributes to the sense of unity. The porch and the opening above give some
limited contrast.
The difficulty is that, in practice, when we try to overcome one visual weakness, we
end up producing another weakness. Dominance is only one aspect of unity, our
visual objective will be fulfilled only when we give due regard to other principles.

PUNCTUATION
In a sentence, we use punctuation marks to indicate pauses or changes in tone.
Punctuation in architecture is a pause in architectural visual continuity and refers
to changes in function and pattern, acknowledged by some physical signal. For
example in the Louis Sullivan building the ground level of commercial units is
separated from the upper multistoried apartments by a band or a cornice. Similarly,
a change in the land use pattern also can be indicated by using an element that is
visually dominant and prominently separates, for instance, a commercial building
and a religious institution.

A change in the width of the street brings out the change

in the land use pattern. A church is used as a punctuating
element to bring into prominence, the pause and
the change in the land use pattern.
CLIMAX
It is a visual phenomenon, in which interest is
slowly built up and as one slowly moves towards
the point of interest, the actual form or the total
structure is seen or perceived. For example,
it could be the portion of the church spire seen
from far, or a portion of the gopuram of a temple
or any structure that creates interest.

From a European market square one gets

the view of only a portion of the church.
As one moves towards the church, there is
a feeling of surprise that is created.

This surprise is
viewed finally is the climax.
Another example is the Taj Mahal at Agra. As one enters the pavilion gateway,
after a flight of steps, one gets a framed view of the garden in front and the
feeling of earth or ground. As one ascends the second gateway pavilion, what
one sees are the water body and landscape and then the refection of the grand
structure on the water. Then as one looks up, the final climax is viewed-the
marble tomb of the Taj Mahal. This is the experience of the Climax.