Continuing from Part I, let’s look at the rest of the Principles of Art...
Variety
Variety is the spice of good design. It’s the difference in sizes, shapes, busyness, line quality, materials, and colors that we use throughout the design to help create visual interest. The more variety we have, the more compelling the design is to look at. Rock, Paper, Scissor Hold by walmazan (above) is a great example of variety in action—literally. Everywhere you look in the design you find something new. The three characters are, appropriately, as different as can be: round, square, and angular; smooth, bumpy, and metallic; even their masks have different themes. There are varying textures and patterns throughout, including stippling on the mat, a rough texture on the rock, the repeating lines on the paper, and background characters that create a pattern all their own. Throw in stars, motion lines, and the delicate stitch work on the masks and you have a design that’s a pleasure to pore over and still handled in a way that’s instantly readable.
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Still Life by Pieter Claesz...
Proportion
Proportion is the size relationship of one element compared to another. This comes into play most commonly when we think of characters; are their proportions believable? Is a head too small? What do larger eye proportions change about how a viewer feels about a character? In the Sun Wukong design discussed in part I, Sun Wukong is a monkey but has some human proportions added to his face and body. This was an effort to give him a more regal, intelligent look befitting a king. Proportion also tells us a lot about the space we’re in. For instance the two feathers on Sun Wukong’s head appear to be of the same variety. However because one is smaller than the other, we can infer that it is further away from us.
The Samurai and the Sea Dragon by patrickspens (above) is masterful in just about every category, including proportion. The size differences between the dragon, the samurai, and the crashing waves give the image much of its power. The samurai feels dwarfed by the massive forces he opposes, making the confrontation all the more dramatic by contrast (see they all link together!). As a bonus, patrickspens has a firm grasp on human proportions, giving his samurai an air of believability.
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Standoff by Doug Chiang
Pattern/Rhythm
Repeating elements, patterns, and ideas can tie a design together by giving it a textural undercurrent. Sometimes these repetitions can be in the forefront, as in an argyle or oddball design. Other times it can simply be the subtle rhythm in which elements are placed. In the case of Nobody’s Child by radiomode (above), patterns and rhythm give the design an added vitality and charm. The artist represents the feathers and designs on the birds with playful lines, loops, and dash marks throughout. This help gives the design a spontaneous energy it might not have if every feather had been meticulously, individually drawn. It’s important to keep in mind when repeating lines, objects, and ideas that you still want some uniqueness between the individual elements. Cloning the same unchanged line or object over and over can come across as cheap and unappealing, sucking the life out of something rather than infusing it with more.
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Jesus by Android Jones
Unity
Unity is how well all of the other principles come together to form a whole. This is perhaps more subjective than some of the other principles as it relies heavily on how the design “feels” or “seems”. It’s impossible to put a quantified standard on what’s required for a design to be unified, or as one. The bottom line is you know it when you see it. There aren’t areas that seem incomplete or out of place. The design is balanced and focused. It just seems “complete”. If your design doesn’t feel unified, run it through the rest of the principles until it does!
Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jaques Louis David
Learning and revisiting these principles is a great way to assess your work and recharge it at the core. Ignore these basic principles of art and you’ll spend your time wondering why “it just isn’t working”. Master them and you will have become a master yourself. So how about it: do you dare enter the Gauntlet of Truth that is the Principles of Art?
