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The elements of art and design are the fundamental building blocks of any visual,

and the principles of art and

design describe how the elements can be combined together.

The principles can be used to help describe a complete composition,

like a painting or

a website, rather than its individual components, like colors and shapes.

Let's start with two principles, balance and harmony.

Balance is how equal or unequal a visual appears.

You might have one side of a composition that has some shapes, colors, and

textures, and other elements represented.

And then the other side of the composition

might have a fairly equal set of those same elements.

This is called symmetrical balance, and it can create a sense of calm and stability.

Think about the facade of an Ancient Greek or Roman building.

The balance is almost always symmetrical, split down the middle.

And the buildings look formal, strong, and confident.

If two sides of a composition are not equal,

say one side has lots of shapes and colors, and

maybe the other side does not, this is called asymmetrical balance.

Asymmetrical balance may be desirable.

In some cases, especially in fine art, it might be your intention to create a sense

of uneasiness, as if the composition could topple over at any moment.

In this 1830s wood block print by the Japanese Ukiyo-e artist Hokusai,

this big wave on one side dominates the image.

And it's leaning over a bit, clearly about to topple over on these people.

They're definitely in the splash zone.

It inspires both wonder and fear of nature,

not just because of the subject matter, but

because of the way it is depicted as being stronger and bigger than us.

On a website marketing a service, you might be able to use this to present

a problem as chaotic and unmanageable, with your product

acting as a serene solution on the other side of the composition.

The next principle is harmony.

Similar to harmony in music, this is when combined elements complement one another.

You might have some similar shapes that feel like they go together like two puzzle

pieces.

And as we saw previously,

there are many harmonies that can be found when combining colors on the color wheel.

It can create a sense of completeness, and make a piece feel whole.

Like two rhyming words,

harmony can be powerful when you're attempting to persuade an audience,

because it can make your ideas have a stronger sense of belonging.

This is very useful when creating landing pages on websites and apps.

This principle can be one of the most difficult to grasp, because it's hardly

ever one thing that makes a composition appear to be harmonious, but

a confluence of things working together.

Take a look at this painting by Paul Cezanne,

one of the most famous French post-Impressionists, from around 1885.

The red cherries have a color complement present in this green jug.

The orange and

red peaches are complemented by the green and blues in the background.

There is warm tones in the food on the left and right side, and

cool tones everywhere else, giving a sense of balance.

The circular or elliptical shape of the food is echoed

by the shape of the plates that they're sitting on, and the chaotic lines of

the cherry stems are present in the folds of the cloth.

And if you just sort of pause the video and look at this image for a minute or

two, and just let your eyes wander to whatever looks most interesting to you,

you might start to notice more things in this composition

that feel like they work together.

In fact, this painting is so harmonious, you might even think this picture

is pretty boring, because it just looks like it belongs.

But imagine, instead of cherries, that this was a big plate of broccoli.

It would throw off the whole balance of the cool and warm tones.

The complements wouldn't be there anymore.

The shapes wouldn't be repeated anymore.

And it just wouldn't work quite as well.

That's the essence of harmony.