Bummer! This is just a preview. You need to be signed in with a Basic account to view the entire video.
Start a free Basic trial
to watch this video
Balance is how equal or unequal a visual appears. Harmony is when combined elements complement one another.
Definitions
- Balance - The appearance of equality in a composition.
- Harmony - Instances where combined elements complement one another.
Art Examples
-
0:00
[MUSIC]
-
0:04
The elements of art and design are the fundamental building blocks of any visual,
-
0:09
and the principles of art and
-
0:11
design describe how the elements can be combined together.
-
0:16
The principles can be used to help describe a complete composition,
-
0:20
like a painting or
-
0:22
a website, rather than its individual components, like colors and shapes.
-
0:27
Let's start with two principles, balance and harmony.
-
0:31
Balance is how equal or unequal a visual appears.
-
0:37
You might have one side of a composition that has some shapes, colors, and
-
0:41
textures, and other elements represented.
-
0:44
And then the other side of the composition
-
0:46
might have a fairly equal set of those same elements.
-
0:51
This is called symmetrical balance, and it can create a sense of calm and stability.
-
0:57
Think about the facade of an Ancient Greek or Roman building.
-
1:02
The balance is almost always symmetrical, split down the middle.
-
1:07
And the buildings look formal, strong, and confident.
-
1:11
If two sides of a composition are not equal,
-
1:16
say one side has lots of shapes and colors, and
-
1:21
maybe the other side does not, this is called asymmetrical balance.
-
1:27
Asymmetrical balance may be desirable.
-
1:30
In some cases, especially in fine art, it might be your intention to create a sense
-
1:35
of uneasiness, as if the composition could topple over at any moment.
-
1:41
In this 1830s wood block print by the Japanese Ukiyo-e artist Hokusai,
-
1:46
this big wave on one side dominates the image.
-
1:51
And it's leaning over a bit, clearly about to topple over on these people.
-
2:00
They're definitely in the splash zone.
-
2:03
It inspires both wonder and fear of nature,
-
2:06
not just because of the subject matter, but
-
2:08
because of the way it is depicted as being stronger and bigger than us.
-
2:14
On a website marketing a service, you might be able to use this to present
-
2:18
a problem as chaotic and unmanageable, with your product
-
2:25
acting as a serene solution on the other side of the composition.
-
2:30
The next principle is harmony.
-
2:33
Similar to harmony in music, this is when combined elements complement one another.
-
2:39
You might have some similar shapes that feel like they go together like two puzzle
-
2:43
pieces.
-
2:44
And as we saw previously,
-
2:46
there are many harmonies that can be found when combining colors on the color wheel.
-
2:50
It can create a sense of completeness, and make a piece feel whole.
-
2:55
Like two rhyming words,
-
2:57
harmony can be powerful when you're attempting to persuade an audience,
-
3:01
because it can make your ideas have a stronger sense of belonging.
-
3:06
This is very useful when creating landing pages on websites and apps.
-
3:10
This principle can be one of the most difficult to grasp, because it's hardly
-
3:15
ever one thing that makes a composition appear to be harmonious, but
-
3:19
a confluence of things working together.
-
3:22
Take a look at this painting by Paul Cezanne,
-
3:25
one of the most famous French post-Impressionists, from around 1885.
-
3:30
The red cherries have a color complement present in this green jug.
-
3:36
The orange and
-
3:38
red peaches are complemented by the green and blues in the background.
-
3:44
There is warm tones in the food on the left and right side, and
-
3:48
cool tones everywhere else, giving a sense of balance.
-
3:54
The circular or elliptical shape of the food is echoed
-
3:59
by the shape of the plates that they're sitting on, and the chaotic lines of
-
4:04
the cherry stems are present in the folds of the cloth.
-
4:10
And if you just sort of pause the video and look at this image for a minute or
-
4:14
two, and just let your eyes wander to whatever looks most interesting to you,
-
4:19
you might start to notice more things in this composition
-
4:22
that feel like they work together.
-
4:24
In fact, this painting is so harmonious, you might even think this picture
-
4:29
is pretty boring, because it just looks like it belongs.
-
4:33
But imagine, instead of cherries, that this was a big plate of broccoli.
-
4:38
It would throw off the whole balance of the cool and warm tones.
-
4:42
The complements wouldn't be there anymore.
-
4:45
The shapes wouldn't be repeated anymore.
-
4:47
And it just wouldn't work quite as well.
-
4:50
That's the essence of harmony.
You need to sign up for Treehouse in order to download course files.
Sign up