0000
Another
Principle of Design is Balance. We use Balance as
a way of controlling gravity. When we walk, our body changes our weight
from foot to foot. If we were to loose our balance, what would happen?
Artists also recognize the importance of Balance in works of art.
There are different types of visual Balance and artists use these
types to create works that convey a particular message or idea to a viewer.
Formal Balance usually is achieved by the artist placing objects
in the work in a symmetrical or equal-sided arrangement. Informal
Balance is created when an asymmetrical layout is used. There is also
Radial Balance. Let's take a look at the different types of Balance.
|
|
Here
is an example of a painting demonstrating Formal Balance.
Note that you could visually divide the paper in half. There would
be a poppy on both sides. No one side dominates the pictures. Neither
poppy appears to be more important than the other. Formal Balance
pictures will have an imaginary "line of symmetry".
Be aware that in evaluating works of art, the symmetry does NOT have to illustrate an exact mirror image. |
|
|
|
 Rama's Rule-Ramraj,Illuminated manuscript |
Here also is an example of Formal Balance. Even though the objects are different, the images on both sides of the artwork balance each other perfectly. This is an
illustration from an illuminated manuscript. A manuscript is considered
illuminated if it is decorated in gold and silver. |
|
|
|
 James Whistler (American)1834-1903, Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother , 1871; Oil on canvas, 144.3 x 162.5 cm; Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
Look at this painting commonly called "Whistler's Mother". Is this an example of Formal Balance? No, it is not. Note that the woman is placed far to the right. The black curtain and large painting on the wall were placed to the left to balance the woman on the right. This is an example of Informal Balance. The large form of the woman is "visually equal" to the black curtain and white painting on the wall. This makes the painting appear balanced, though the composition is more relaxed and less stiff than if the woman had been placed in the exact center of the canvas |
|
|
|
| Here
the larger figures to the right are balanced by the many smaller figures
to the left. Also, Seurat add additional "light" to the
left. How does this add balance to the painting? Seurat's style of painting became known as Pointallism. Look at this detail below and you will see that the canvas is covered with small "dots" of color, not brushstrokes. Seurat felt that the human eye would blend all the color dots together when seen from a distance. (This is the same principle used in television screens) |
Seurat believed that if he painted yellow dots next to blue dots, the human eye would see the color green. |
 |
|
 Loan, 7th Grade, pencil Drawing |
 |
Notice the RED "Line of Symmetry" and how it divides this drawing into two halves. Each side is almost a mirror image of the other. This is a SYMMETRICAL work of art. |
Here, Loan's drawing is an example of a symmetrical work of art. Symmetrical works can be divided in half with an imaginary "Line Of Symmetry". Both sides are mirror images of the other. What you see on one half, you see on the other in a reversed order, like a "mirror image". |
|
|
|||
 Diana, 5th Grade, Tempera |
When
looking at this abstract painting in the round, also known as a tondo,
see if you can find how this piece was balanced. This is an example of Informal Balance. No matter how you turn it, there is no line of symmetry. Can you spot the Center Of Interest? Commonly called the Focal Point of a work, the center of interest is the area your eye is drawn to in a work of art. Note how this young artist adds lines and triangles that point to the focal point of her work. The checkered area is the center of interest in this piece. |
|
This is an example of Radial Balance. Consider looking for a spiral or spinning effect of the pattern. The axis is the center point and the design or pattern appears to "radiate" from that point. Nature contains many examples of radial designs as does manufactured objects that are usually round in shape, i.e.. wheels, plates, and fans. This is known as a rose window. It is made up of pieces of stained glass held together by lead. The ornate dark areas are made of concrete and are called a tracery. |
 Rose Window, Notre Dame Cathedral, c. 1150, Stained Glass, Paris, France |
|
|
|
 |
A
mandala is a circular design. They are created by culture groups in
Africa, the southwestern United States, and Asia and usually have
religious or ceremonial meaning. Mandalas usually have at least one
line of symmetry. Often they have many. See a fascinating movie of a Tibetan Sand Mandala being created. (The movie is a few minutes long.) Click Here |
 |
|
