Chuah Kwai Pin / 0348376
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Exercise 2 (Balance, Emphasis, Repetition and Movement)
LECTURES:
Week 2:
Lecture 2: Balance & Emphasis
Symmetrical- equal "weight" on equal sides, equal arrangement of elements on either side of the central axis.
Radial Balance- elements arranged around a central point
Approximate symmetry- equivalent but not identical forms arranged around the fulcrum line
Asymmetrical- unequal visual weight on each side of composition, one side contains dominant element whereas other side has lesser focal points. It offers more visual variety, but can be difficult to achieve as relationships between elements are more complex.
Golden Ratio- the representative of perfect beauty and is a guide to create visual balance. It can be used to bring harmony, balance and structure to a design work.
Rule of Thirds- a composition guideline to create more dynamism where the image is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically.
Emphasis- used to create dominance and focus in a design work. Various elements such as colour, shapes or value can be used to achieve dominance.
Week 3:
Lecture 3: Repetition and Movement
Repetition- make a work of design look active as repetition of elements create rhythm and pattern. Variety can be implemented to avoid monotony. Use of pattern can increase visual excitement as it enriches surface interest.
Movement- the path the eye follows, the design leads the eye in, around, and through a composition. Movement in visual image comes from the use of varying shapes, forms, lines and curves.
Hierarchy- the choreography of content in a composition, it directs viewers to the most important information first then to the secondary content.
Alignment- Placement of elements where edges line up along common rows or common centre. It creates a sense of unity and cohesion, strengthening the perceived stability and can help lead a person through the design.
Repetition- make a work of design look active as repetition of elements create rhythm and pattern. Variety can be implemented to avoid monotony. Use of pattern can increase visual excitement as it enriches surface interest.
Movement- the path the eye follows, the design leads the eye in, around, and through a composition. Movement in visual image comes from the use of varying shapes, forms, lines and curves.
Hierarchy- the choreography of content in a composition, it directs viewers to the most important information first then to the secondary content.
Alignment- Placement of elements where edges line up along common rows or common centre. It creates a sense of unity and cohesion, strengthening the perceived stability and can help lead a person through the design.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Week 3: Balance and Emphasis
our design process:
· visual research
· idea exploration and description
· final outcome in PDF and short rationale
· feedback by lecturer
· reflection on the particular exercise
Visual Research:
 |
| Fig.1.1 Balance |
After watching the lecture, I went onto Pinterest to search for some ideas and inspirations for my sketches. From my understanding, works of balance usually give off a complete look where both sides have a good ratio in distribution of weight. While scrolling through, I found these 3 different artworks to have a good sense of balance.
For emphasis, it is easier to identify when one subject is completely opposite, or somewhat different from the rest. It stands out on its own, drawing the the attention of viewers to them first before the background. These 3 artworks above have very strong use of emphasis and it is achieved by using contrasting colours.
 |
| Fig.1.2 Emphasis |
For emphasis, it is easier to identify when one subject is completely opposite, or somewhat different from the rest. It stands out on its own, drawing the the attention of viewers to them first before the background. These 3 artworks above have very strong use of emphasis and it is achieved by using contrasting colours.
 |
| Fig.1.3 Movement |
I also did some visual research for movement out of curiosity as I have always found it to be a bit of a challenge. In these 3 artworks, they show different movements achieved in different ways. The first one shows spiraling movement inwards using lines of different weight, whereas the second one shows spiraling movement outwards, using shapes and colours resembling flower petals. The last one is a wave of arrows, flowing in the direction that the arrow is pointing towards.
 |
| Fig.1.4 Repetition |
Idea Exploration and Description:
Emphasis:
For my first idea, I wanted to try putting emphasis on a series of similar donuts. To do that, I thought about taking an uneven bite off a donut. Since all the colours are similar, it does not really give off a strong emphasis. From afar, it might take a little time to notice a difference compared to the other donuts.
 |
| Fig. 2.1 Bitten off donut as emphasis |
For my first idea, I wanted to try putting emphasis on a series of similar donuts. To do that, I thought about taking an uneven bite off a donut. Since all the colours are similar, it does not really give off a strong emphasis. From afar, it might take a little time to notice a difference compared to the other donuts.
 |
| Fig. 2.2 Strawberry flavoured donut as emphasis |
 |
| Fig. 2.3 Red fish swimming in a different direction |
 |
| Fig. 2.4 An emphasized red key |
As simple as it is, we know a piano consists of both black and white keys. Therefore, when we look at a piano with an odd red key, it is clear that it has been given emphasis as it stands out from the monotonous colours.
Movement:
 |
| Fig. 2.5 Spiraling squares |
For my movement idea, I thought about creating depth and spiral with the use of squares and colour gradient. As it gets smaller and goes further in depth, the shade of blue becomes darker.
Repetition:
 |
| Fig. 2.6 Repetition of moles and holes |
My inspiration for this repetition of moles and holes came from the Whack-A-Mole game. Just like how the moles come up repetitively in the game, this idea also shows a repeated pattern of moles and holes throughout the artboard.
Balance:
 |
| Fig. 2.7 Balance of both sides, Day and Night |
To create a sense of balance, I have decided to use the idea of Day and Night to show similar yet different elements. By doing this, it distributes equal weight on both sides with the difference of colours and elements.
Week 4: Finalising Balance and Emphasis
After Week 3 and Week 4's review and feedback, I have made some improvements to my chosen principles which are Balance and Emphasis.
-01-01.jpg) |
| Fig. 2.1 Emphasis |
For Emphasis, I have chosen to proceed with the idea from Fig. 2.2 where the strawberry flavoured donut is being emphasised on as it is placed in the centre amidst the background filled with chocolate donuts. To further emphasise it, I also enlarged the size of the strawberry flavoured donut to show that it is different and popping out from the rest of the background. Rather than going with a grid arrangement of donuts, I have arranged the chocolate donuts in the back to look as if it was circling around the middle strawberry donut. By doing this, it definitely adds more fun to the overall work.
 |
| Fig. 2.2 Balance |
Moving on to Balance, I chose to proceed with the idea from Fig. 2.7. Referring to the feedback from Week 3, I added some varying graphic elements into both sides of the artwork. On the day side, I added clouds and birds and on the night side I added stars to complement the dark blue sky.
FEEDBACK:
Week 3
Emphasis:
Fig. 2.1: Emphasis is not strong enough
Fig. 2.2: Can make the middle donut pop out more for emphasis. Make the size differ from the rest
Fig. 2.3: To give further emphasis, can lighten the rest of the blue fish or darken the red fish
Fig. 2.4: The red key can be in the middle of the 3 keys.
Repetition:
Fig. 2.5: Crop the sides to make it more balanced and filled so that it looks evenly spread out.
Balance:
Fig. 2.6: The balance on both lower sides is already established. Would be more interesting to add a few differing elements on both sides to fill up the empty middle space.
Fig. 2.5: Crop the sides to make it more balanced and filled so that it looks evenly spread out.
Balance:
Fig. 2.6: The balance on both lower sides is already established. Would be more interesting to add a few differing elements on both sides to fill up the empty middle space.
Week 4
Emphasis:
Fig. 3.1: It would be more interesting to make the small chocolate donuts dance and circle around the bigger, emphasised donut since the overall mood of the artwork is lively and fun.
Fig. 3.1: It would be more interesting to make the small chocolate donuts dance and circle around the bigger, emphasised donut since the overall mood of the artwork is lively and fun.
FINAL OUTCOMES:
-01-01.jpg) |
| Fig. 3.1 Emphasis |
 |
| Fig. 3.2 Balance |
REFLECTIONS:
While working on this 2nd exercise, I wanted to break away from using mostly geometric shapes and try to explore with illustrations to portray the principles chosen. It was a great experience for me as I was able to refine my knowledge on the principles through both visual research and exercise work.
Not only that, since I have decided to do my works digitally, I also got the chance to explore using Adobe softwares and get familiarise with the tools simultaneously. Although it started off as a challenge, overall it was a great process of learning through mistakes and exploration.
Comments
Post a Comment