Principles of Design

“Party Prep” (2008)
Dyna Moe

This piece of artwork based on the television series “Mad Men,” showcases rhythm, which is created when an art element is repeated. In this picture, lines, specifically diagonal lines, are the repeated element. If someone drew a line from her head to her leg, it would form a diagonal line. Her legs are diagonal lines, as well as the pieces of the chair that she is breaking apart.

“The River, Bennecourt” (1868)
Claude Monet

The emphasis of this painting is the tree and the woman sitting near it. The eye is initially drawn to the woman in white, partly because she shows up so well against the brown tree-trunk. The tree is the largest element in the painting, and dominates the scene. The brown tree trunk is what the eye is drawn to after the woman.

“The Oath of the Horatii” (1784)
Jacques-Louis David

This painting has a strong feeling of unity. There is a limited color palate: red, blue, white, yellow, and orange. There is a clear balance within the piece; the men standing receiving their swords are balanced by the women sitting on the other side of them. There is a clear area of focus, and the eye easily travels around the painting.

“Zielscheibenbild/Target painting” (1966-69)
Poul Gernes

This work exclusively uses circles, creating a pattern. The repetition of circles, especially since they are concentric circles, draws our eye to the center. What makes it the repetition of circles visually interesting, is that the colors are varied.

“Sunday Afternoon on the Island of la Grande Jatte” (1886)
Georges Seurat

Due to the differing size of the figures, this work of art showcases proportion. It is easy to compare the size of the dog to the woman in black with the umbrella, and come to the conclusion that the woman is larger than the dog. The child in white is noticeably smaller than the woman next to her wearing red and pink.

“The Ballet Class” (1880)
Edgar Degas

Variety is created when an artist has one or more elements that differ from the rest of the piece. In this painting by Degas, variety is created by the woman in dark clothing and the hat sitting down. She is sitting down while the other figures are standing. The woman sitting is considerably older than the dancers. She is wearing something that appears stuff and starchy, while the dancers wear dresses that are light and airy.

“Official Portrait of President John F. Kennedy” (1963)
Aaron Shikler

This portrait makes excellent use of contrast. Kennedy’s suit is dark gray, which shows up well against the tan background. The blue tie is highly visible against the white dress shirt. The artwork is very well balanced. His arms are crossed, which draws more attention to his upper body. Kennedy is centered within the picture, creating balance by not having one side of the frame dominate the other.