Balance and Alignment
- Every element has “weight”
- Weight comes from:
- Colour
- Size
- Texture
Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Balance
- There are different stylistic reasons to go with symmetrical or asymmetrical designs
E.g.:
Symmetrical create balances through equally weighted elements aligned across a center
Asymmetrical uses opposing weights (e.g. one large vs smaller) to create an unbalanced composition that maintains equilibrium
Think like a seesaw: two equal-sized people on each end, or a smaller person on one end and a bigger person closer to the middle to still balance around the centrepoint (or fulcrum)
Types of Symmetry
Reflection/Bilateral Symmetry
- Everythig is mirrored around a central axis
- Axis can be in any direction/orientation but is usually horizontal
- Can have multiple axis (e.g. left-right mirror + top/bottom mirror simultaneously)
- An exact reflection is “pure” symmetry, but is typical to have near-symmetry with slight variation in reflection
Rotational/Radial Symmetry
- Everything rotates around common centre (e.g. a flower).
- Rotation without reflection can demonstrate motion or action
Translational/Crystallographic Symmetry
- Repeat elements over different locations in space (e.g. fence posts)
- Occur in any direction or distance as long as basic orientation is the same
- Can represent rhythm, motion and action
Radial and Mosaic Balance
- Radial balance starts from a common centre and has the elements “radiate” from it
- Maintaining a centrepoint is easy as there is always a centre
- Can naturally guide Movement toward the centre
- Mosaic (or crystallographic) balance results from balanced chaos
- No distinct focal points
- Elements share uniform emphasis
- Example: Jackson Pollack paintings
- #unresolved Good ways to tackle this? Presumably hard