Balance

Principle of Design

Think of some examples…..

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Balance

• Balance of the universe• work hard – get a massage• exhausted - sleep• hungry – eat• too much junk – garage sale• late – rush• sick – take medicine• save up – spend money• smells bad – lysol• short – wear high heels

Balance

• Life• Balance….

– School– Family– Friends– Work

– Balance the check book– Balanced meals

Balance

• The distribution of visual weight within a composition.

• Visual Weight – through use of the elements. Must be seen, can’t be weighted physically.

• A sense of balance is inborn.

• As children we develop a sense of balance in our own bodies – equilibrium.

Imbalance

• Lack of balance• Disturbs us • We want to “fix” it• Uneasiness/unsteadiness• Annoys you

• Balance beam – gymnast falls off• Straighten a picture on the wall

Imbalanced

• Uncomfortable• War• Traffic• Hurricane• Oil spill – pollution• Rollercoaster• Grabs attention• Uneasy feeling

Balance in Art

Visual Balance

VISUAL BALANCE

• Because of our sense of gravity we are accustomed to seeing more weight on the bottom then on top. This results in stability and calmness.

• Solid shapes weigh more then open shapes• Shapes that go beyond the upper corners tend

to rise, while shapes that go beneath the lower edge tend to sink

• The vertical, horizontal and diagonal orientation of an element also affects its visual weight

OPTICAL CENTER

• All images have an optical and actual center

• Optical center is about ¼” above actual

• Actual center will make your composition bottom heavy

Symmetrical Balance

• How do you feel

when you look at

the following image…….

• Leonardo Da Vinci• Vitruvian Man

• Harmony• Organized• Quiet• Peaceful• Calm• Order• Static

FORMAL BALANCE

• Conscious symmetrical repetition while clearly creating perfect balance can be undeniably static, so the term of formal balance is used to explain the same idea.

• Can have a strong sense of symmetry in an asymmetrical work by having the emphasis on the central axis and common elements on both sides.

• Domenico Veneziano: The St. Lucy Altarpiece

Central Axis

• Line of Symmetry

• Imaginary line that

works as a guide

Max Ernst

CENTRAL AXIS

• An imaginary line that divides the picture plane evenly in half

• We always assume a horizontal balance with a center vertical axis with the left and right sides achieving a sense of equilibrium.

• Also a vertical balance with a horizontal axis dividing top and bottom.

• Vertical Axis

• Measures

horizontal

balance

• Horizontal

axis

Measures

Vertical

balance

Approximate Symmetry

• Slight variations in symmetrical balance

Asymmetrical Balance

• Informal• Balance of unlike

objects or elements.

• Weigh the same but,• different elements.

• Based on eye attraction.

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE• Balance is achieved with dissimilar

objects that have equal visual weight or equal eye attraction.

• Alternate term is informal balance

• Asymmetrical balance seems less planned and casual yet it is more intricate and complicated to use than symmetrical balance.

• Attempting to balance dissimilar items involves more complex considerations and more subtle factors.

• Kathe Kollwitz: Mother with Dead Child

http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/watch_balance_symmetrical.cfm

• Monet

• Thomas Hart Benton

Value

• More contrast = more weight.

• Black against white is heavier than white against grey.

• Felix Vallotton

Hand out

• Image B

• A darker smaller element is visually equal to a lighter,larger one.

Which seems more attractive…

Baugin: Still Life with a Chess Board

Color

• Studies have proven that our eyes are attracted to color.

• Given the choice we will look at color over black and white.

• We will choose a brighter color over a neutral.

• Brighter color = heavier.

Shape and Texture

• Large shape with out texture balances a small shape with texture.

• Larger = heavier• Textured and detailed

= heavier• Small = lighter• Solid = lighter

Hand out

• Image E

• Please turn page

• A small complicated shape is balanced by a larger, more stable shape.

• Image A

• A small textured shape can balance a larger, untextured one.

Position

• Principle in psychics - two items of unequal weight can be brought to equilibrium by moving the heavier item to the center.

• This effect seems to be casual and unplanned.

• It can cause a composition at first glance to seem unbalanced.

• Aubrey Beardsley

Hand out

• Image D

• A large shape placed near the middle of a design can be balanced by a smaller shape placed toward the outer edge.

Eye Direction

• Carefully plotted• Makes viewer look in

specific direction• More weight in that

direction• Subliminal arrows

• Edgar Degas

Carel Willink: Townview

Radial Balance

• Radiate from a central point

• Symmetrical - horizontal and vertical

• Frequently found in nature.

TYPES OF RADIAL BALANCE

• Centrifugal Balance: – Occurs when the visual

forces expand outward

• Centripetal Balance: – Occurs when the visual

forces move inward, suggesting a compression of space

Crystallographic Balance

• All over pattern

• Adeline Harris• Quilt

No Balance

Homework

• Find examples of…• 1. Symmetrical/Formal• 2. Approximate• 3. Asymmetrical/Informal• 4. Radial• 5. Crystallographic• Do not use example shown in class• Please number all examples.

The End