An Introduction to Unity

Design & Communication | ARTS102

An Introduction t UNITY

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Understanding visual art, design, communication and it’s functions through traditional and contemporary delivery.

Design & Communication | ARTS10

Design & Communication: UNITY THE PRINCIPLE OF UNITY IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION - OVERVIEW

There are very few hard and fast rules in visual communication; multiple correct options exist to effectively relate your message and have it understood.

However, the principle of Unity exists in all successful design. Unity, also referred to as harmony, is a state where a degree of agreement exists among the different elements of the artwork, a pleasing combination of parts that make up a whole composition. A uni ed message is organized. Imagery must be organized if the audience is to understand and remember it.

A gestalt is created because the mind simpli es and organizes information. It does this by grouping elements together to create new wholes. Understanding how the mind groups elements (by proximity, similarity, continuation and alignment) helps us understand how unity can be achieved. We will cover Gestalt theory simply here a bit later and in greater depth in a subsequent chapter No element of the message is independent of any other element. Each element in uences and is in uenced by the other existing elements in a message. As we move further into the course we will discover how different design elements and principles affect a visual message. Powerful, directed, and easily understood messages can be delivered when all elements and principles are working together to present factual, emotional, psychological, and persuasive information the designer wishes communicated. In order for this multi-layered communication to be successful the imagery must be presented in a cohesive format that does not detract from the message through mixed messages, noise, distraction, or the lack of a structured statement. Achieving visual unity promotes effective visual communication. There are multiple ways of visually organizing elements. We will touch on these in the next few pages

The principle of unity is perhaps the most important of the design principles, yet it is often the most dif cult to understand. Unity is the fundamental principle of design and it is supported by all the other principles. If a design is not uni ed, it cannot be considered successful.

Unity creates an integrated image in which all the elements are working together to support the design as a whole, and is based on the gestalt theory of visual perception, which states that the eye of the viewer seeks a gestalt or uni ed whole. This means that the viewer is actually looking for a connection between the elements, for some sort of organization, for unity in the design.

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Thematic or Conceptual Unity

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Instead of feast tables or objects in the rooms of the wealthy, the still-life tableaus that rst brought Ms. Groover to prominence in the late 1970s focused on the everyday implements of the

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Themes can be be deep and profound, such as love or war, but can also be mundane and still maintain a beautiful visual unity and message. In the images above by photographer Jan Groover, you will note

the content theme is that of kitchen utensils and objects, yet by arrangements of the objects together with their united purpose a powerful and harmonious set of images is created.

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An arrangement of similar or related objects or content in a composition. Themes have power. They can unify help to unify an image in addition to visual elements such as gestalt through the interrelated thematic content they present. However, scattering a lot of similar objects around the picture plane does not ensure thematic unity. The objects must look as if they have a reason to be there and are sharing space for a reason.

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Thematic or Conceptual Unity

About the artist - “Jan Groover’s relentlessly formal still lifes of mundane objects brought a sense of Renaissance stateliness to postmodern photograph

kitchen, arranged in the sink: fork tines, spatulas, butter-knife blades, whorled and scalloped cake pans, shot in such a way as to confound perspective and to transform light into a kind of object itself in the re ective surfaces The pictures resonated not only as subtle documents of feminism but also as unusually beautiful investigations of the ctions that are inseparable from facts in the conventions of photography.” Randy Kennedy, NY Times, January 11, 2012

L U C T& U Gestalt S Containment Containment

Gestalt

The Picture Plane. There will be an established relationship among design elements when they share a common boundary. We will refer to this boundary as the picture plane. The shape of the picture plane can create relationships and associations all on its own. A horizontal rectangle as border will aid in a landscape or panoramic view, while a vertical rectangle can create rising or falling movement. A square is neutral, and will

Gestalt is a German term for psychological theory essentially meaning “the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts.” This theory basically states that the whole of the image perceived will be understood before the individual elements making up the image will be examined. Knowing this, a designer will create speci c relationships among separate elements to create a uni ed image/message. A simple element of gestalt theory is Proximity - A way of making separate elements look as if they belong together is by putting them close together: the closer elements are to each other, the more likely we will see them as a group. Proximity is how we are able to read; letters placed close to each other become words, where the same letters spaced apart makes the work more dif cult to comprehend. Proximity is one of the easiest ways to achieve unity

accentuate the movement inside it’s boundaries through contrast. The designer can accent the message communicated simply by the form the boundaries take The PICTURE PLANE is the at two-dimensional surface on which we draw or project an image. It is usually de ned by a rectangular border. It is within this border that we create the illusion of space or contain the interrelationships of shapes, lines, and other design elements.

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L Repetition UCTUS Repetition Repetition is based on grouping by similarity; elements that are similar visually are perceived to be related. Any element can be repeated line, shape, color, value or texture - as well other things such as direction, angle or size. Repetition helps unify a design by creating similar elements and is one of the most effective ways to unify a design.

The color print titled “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide" by Damien Hirst to the right shows multi-colored dots in a simple grid pattern. The repetition of the dots and the colors shows two levels of similarity, one based on the shape, and the other based on the colors In the design quote made typographic by Carly Fairbanks, far right, the repeated curving forms of the cursive lettering hold the image together

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CH APTER 2 Continuation

Continuation Continuation means that something (a line, an edge, a curve, a direction) continues from one element to another. The viewer’s eye will follow the continuing line or edge smoothly from one element to other and the mind will group the elements because of this connection. Implied lines are one example of continuation.

In this Major League Baseball promotion by the design group HelloMe the broken type forms create a series of diagonal implied lines that hold the image together and help maintain legibility

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C HAlignment APTER 2

Alignment

Alignment consists of arranging elements so that their edges are lined up. The common alignment allows the eye to group those elements together. A grid is often used to create unity through alignment.

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C H A P of T EUNITY R 2 Summary

Or, to summarize, good design follows the CRAP rules...

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Design & Communication | ARTS102

An Introduction t Elements & Principles of Design

o

Understanding visual art, design, communication and it’s functions through traditional and contemporary delivery.

H A P T E R |3 ARTS10 Design &CCommunication ARTS102

Design & Communication: Elements & Principles THE BASIC ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF 2-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN In this course we will examine the elements and principles of two dimensional design. The elements are the "what" of a design and the principles are the "how." Using a recipe metaphor - the elements are the ingredients and the principles are the directions. The elements of design include line, shape, space, value, texture, color. Put together skillfully, they create effective visual communication The principles of design, perhaps even more than the elements, are dif cult to separate from one another even for the sake of discussion, as it is only when they are working together that an effective design is created. From the J. Paul Getty Museum… The principles of design describe the ways that artists use the elements of art in a work of art

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CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

De nitions for Principles 1. Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space. If the design was a scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable. In symmetrical balance, the elements used on one side of the design are similar to those on the other side; in asymmetrical balance, the sides are different but still look balanced. In radial balance, the elements are arranged around a central point and may be similar

5. Repetition works with pattern to make the work of art seem active. The repetition of elements of design creates unity within the work of art

2. Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention. Usually th artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc

7. Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like music or dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and active, variety is essential

3. Movement is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art

8. Variety is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention and to guide the viewer’s eye through and around the work of art

4. Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol all over the work of art

6. Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts (sizes, amounts, or number) relate well with each other. When drawing the human gure, proportion can refer to the size of the head compared to the rest of the body

9. Unity is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which creates a sense of completeness.

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CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

The Art of Lauren Rolwing Let’s examine some of the principles of design, as well as some of the unifying factors discussed previously in this chapter in part one, working toward Visual Unity, in the work of an individual artist.

By looking at one artist with a consistent style and use of form, we are exercising Thematic unity as well. The artist chosen is print and fashion illustrator Lauren Rolwing. Rolwing is a Knoxville-born illustrator and a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Clients include The New York Times, Brummell Magazine, Harper's Bazaar and Re nery 29. You can visit her website here: http://www.laurenrolwing.com/

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CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

Balance. The imagery runs off the center, with almost equal space around the hands and the object on the left.

Emphasis. The isolated red lips on the white ground help the area stand out. Add to that the fact that it is the only red shape in the composition, while all the other colors are repeated, gives the area the visual strength to be a focal point.

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CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

Movement. The diagonal tree, canoe, paddle and waves help create the illusion of movement in the composition.

Pattern. The use of the white pattern over the top of most of the image helps to unify by being consistent throughout the whole image.

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Repetition. The repeated lip forms, in the same color as the background, pull the space together and give an overall consistency to the whole image.

Proportion. The abstracted parts of the image t together, and relate to the size and scale of a human gure and a wine glass.

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CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

Rhythm. The repeated curved lines of the hair, glasses and plants create a slow visual rhythm, which uni es the image by consistency of that gentle movement.

Variety. Circles, rectangles, horizontal, vertical and diagonal shapes provide a variety of forms, while being uni ed through that variety and by the placement of the objects in the composition.

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CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

Grids. The lines of the background grid up with the interior lines and shapes forming the illusion of a woman in a dress.

Continuation. Implied line and connection occurs from the gaze of the man in the sunglasses back to the woman in the foreground. We also move from the man to the beach loungers to the woman in the background by the diagonal implied line in the composition.

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CHAPT R 3 Principles ofEDesig

Proximity. The closeness of the different circular and oval forms on the gure imply they are patterns on the clothing, and group together to make the illusion of a gure. They also repeated the circles of the background.

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Objectives • Begin to use basic principles of art and design • Begin to become familiar with Unity in a compositio • Visually communicate emotions or words in a compositio

Helpful Tip If using digital tools, please refer to your individual software instructions or search helpful websites for new tips. For example, layers might be very useful for Adobe or Gimp users. Refer to online YouTube tutorials. If using traditional materials, it is perfectly acceptable to research other work, say on Pinterest for inspiration. However, blatant plagiarism is not acceptable and we must always be respectful of other artist’s work.

ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Design in CRAP Using the principles of Unity and simple black squares as a design feature, you will design 4 compositions visually communicating the essence of the meaning of the following 4 concepts in unity: continuation, repetition, alignment and proximity.

ASSIGNMENT PART 2 Please respond thoughtfully to the following questions regarding your design.

Please write your answers in the “add comments” section of the drop box when uploading your image. Engage me as your instructor and audience by responding to the questions below as a self evaluation

Using your software, or traditional materials of choice, we will use BLACK squares or boxes on a new document or piece of paper 8.5x11. For each of your squares or boxes, copy/paste, move/rotate, resize, overlap, combine or separate — use your imagination to arrange them while visually communicating what it means to have alignment, repetition, continuation and proximity. It’s best to begin with pencil or marker sketches to try out different compositions and styles — we call this process sketching, and these informal sketches can be used to post your In-Progress review. Your work is complete when you have 4 nished and complete compositions, labeled and uploaded to the assignment folder

1. What additional elements or principles beside Unity do you think you used 2. Tell me about your design process. How did you begin 3. What do you like about your design? What can you do better next time?

This assignment is worth 20 points.

Here is the rubric for the assignment • following directions (25%) • inclusion of self evaluation (25%) • applying lesson concepts (25%) • successful completion of composed design: craftsmanship (25% Please let me know if you have any questions and have some fun

For example: You may use black boxes of differing sizes, you can use outlined boxes, you can use all the same size box. You may use white boxes on a black background. The creativity is yours! However, please use only black and white. Save digital les or images of your work as a JPEG, PDF or PNG. Upload the nished work/images to the assignment dropbox provided

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LUCTU S Assignment: UNIT