G I L L I A N S M I T H

PRINCIPALS OF DESIGN

COLOR

• Uses the color wheel/theory• Creates emphasis

and aid in organization• The leaves on top

are effectively contrasted with the lower leaves. The water magnifies the color a bit.

LEADING LINES

• Vertical, horizontal, or angled lines directing focus to a subject• The street

curbs are leading the eye to the bridge.

SHAPE/FORM

• A geometric or organic form• Self contained• The eye is drawn

to the water droplet in this image, and the ants act similar to leading lines

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

• Weight of composition balanced on an axis

• Vertical or horizontal axis• The Eiffel tower is the

same on both sides of this vertical axis. The horizon is one the bottom third

TEXTURE

• Visual texture makes the image appear touchable• The surface quality

of a shape• This image is a

macro image of fabric, it looks touchable. Also uses color effectively

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

• Different size shapes or subjects distributed on an axis, horizontal or vertical

• The mountains are asymmetrically balanced, and the horizon is 2/3rds of the image

CONTRAST

• Two elements in an image are opposite, like the color, background imagery, fonts, etc.• Black and white

are contrasted in this photo, using a visual center aswell

DOMINANCE

• Creates a focal point• Without a

dominant subject the eye wanders too much• This photo has

the cat being dominant, as well as being 1/3 of the picture

GRADIENT

• Used to show depth and distance• Can make

subjects appear solid with form• The sunset in

this image is a gradient. The horizon is one third of the image

NEGATIVE SPACE

• Reveals true subject of an image• Can be used to

highlight certain areas of an image• The power lines

are negative space here. Color is also used

PATTERN

• Random repetition on a surface or material

• This photo repeats the same pattern with the windows. It also demonstrates repetition

PROPORTION

• Comparison of dimension of forms• Can create

different kinds od symmetry• This picture has 2

differently sized horses. It also demonstrates rule of thirds.

REPETITION

• Similar to pattern, the same shape repeated multiple times in an image

• This photo shows repetition by repeating the subject. This also demonstrates proportion and rule of thirds (horizon)

UNITY

• Subjects in an image are connected in some way

• The men in this photo demonstrate unity being connected in the same object. It also shows repetition.

RULE OF THIRDS

• Subject of image is on one third of the image• Background may cover

a third of image

• In this photo, the tree is on the right third. The background also goes about 2/3s up. It also uses color effectively

VISUAL CENTER

• Subject is in the center of the image, focus goes there

• In the image, the vase is in the dead center and the eye is drawn to it. It also uses color to attract the eye to the vase.