Variety: using different elements and styles to make an interesting artwork. An example would be Picasso’s “Girl before a Mirror” because he uses contrasting shapes, patterns, and colors to be dynamic and create layers.
Balance: is distributing visual weight and elements in a composition. An example is a well-set dining table, which is visually pleasing because everything is equal and has an opposite.
Emphasis is giving special attention to a specific area in a work to make it stand out. An example in everyday life is when arranging flowers, where certain flowers are added to be the focal point of the bouquet.
Directional Forces: are visual paths created by lines, shapes, or movements that guide your eyes through a work. An example is Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” because the lines of the table and walls lead us toward Christ, who is at the center and focal point.
Rhythm: is the repetition of elements that creates a sense of movement. In Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” we see how he used his brush strokes to create rhythm in the sky.
Scale: is the overall size of something compared to other things or our own bodies. In “Spoonbridge and Cherry,” by Claes Oldenburg, we see how he plays with unusual scale to amuse his viewers with a giant sculpture.
BOP (2002-3) by Elizabeth Murray
Oil on Canvas, 9'10" x 10'10 1/2"
Chapter 7.6 - Oil (no page numbers)
Elizabeth Murray’s recipe for “BOP” begins with the jazz music she heard that inspired this piece. She uses a vivid color palette and saturated reds, yellows, blues, and contrasting hues that create vibrancy and visual rhythm. Her work with different geometric shapes comes to life as each piece is its own interlocking part, defying the normal rectangular format. Moreover, she used curved lines to guide the viewer across the painting from one shape to the next, almost in a musical sense. Although her painting feels chaotic, there’s balance through the repetition of color and distribution of visual weight, allowing the pieces to dance together beautifully. Finally, certain shapes have more emphasis because they’re bigger and grab our attention through their color and specific positioning. Ultimately, Murray created a fun, vibrant artwork that lives up to its name “Bop” and represents jazz music well, even though her recipe wasn’t perfect in the beginning, it took adding the right ingredients till she arrived at this intriguing piece.
CONNECTING ART TO YOUR WORLD
If I had to choose a color scheme for my life, it would be soft whites and varying hues of pink. To me, white symbolizes growth, potential, and new beginnings, so I try to surround myself with light values of white to reflect a sense of calm and clarity. Especially because there’s always a lot going on in my life, but I at least have certain things to remind me of tranquility and to push me to be the best version of myself. On the other hand, pink is my favorite color, and I love how I look in pink. Depending on my mood, I will wear a specific shirt with the saturation that is just right, allowing me to face my day. Finally, my bathroom is also filled with pink tones, which radiate positivity and comfort in my everyday life.
I painted this picture of purple wildflowers because they represent peace, growth, and nostalgia. I used to live in Ohio, and something I miss about living in the country is the beautiful flowers you’d see along the roads in the springtime. I’ve always loved flowers and still love to arrange bouquets when I can. However, life in Florida feels like there’s not enough time, and it makes me think back when life was easier and slower in Ohio. It’s most likely because I was younger and didn’t have as many responsibilities, but these beautiful purple wildflowers remind me that I’m still growing, even though I’m in a different place. They bring me peace, knowing there are still pieces of who I used to be while growing into my best version.
This National Geographic cover is a good example of layout design because of the beautiful image of a Lion as the centerpiece, bold titles that call attention, and minimal text. The contrast of the letters on the image makes it easy to grasp what they're talking about.
This second image is an example of bad design layout because there are multiple images, many logos, and it's too cluttered. Ultimately, the flyer is so busy that you can't focus on the crucial information.
A good design calls the attention of the viewer, gives proper information that's easy to understand, and communicates effectively. Different aspects of the layout should work well together and not be too busy. The text, images, and colors in the layout must be visually appealing and have a purpose. Without all these components coming together, it will result in a weak layout that doesn't convey what you want it to and won't have any impact or purpose.
