• About
  • Projects
  • Articles
  • Contact

julielivingstone

~ It isn't always about getting what you want. Sometimes it's about wanting what you've got.

julielivingstone

Monthly Archives: May 2012

Principles of design, or not?

10 Thursday May 2012

Posted by julielivingstone in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

In class at TAFE we talked about the principles of design, and I’ve also been doing some research. I came across this site here, which has a good but simple explanation of the principles. The first thing it talks about is composition, but I actually think that encompasses most of the other principles, it’s the way you put those principles together. After that come balance, proportion, repetition, dominance, harmony, contrast, unity and variety. All of these can be applied to colour, shapes and textures, for example you can have contrasting colours, or harmonic colours such as a monochrome composition. A single colour might be dominant, or repeated throughout the design.
I find it a little bizarre that these principles are touted everywhere as ‘good design’, and yet examples of ‘good design’ are often wildly different. Sometimes it’s hard to see where the principles have been applied. I’ve also been doing a lot of research on Art Deco, and designs in that genre vary widely. There are brightly coloured, highly intricate designs, such as these glorious examples by Gunta Stolzl, and there are very subdued and simple patterns like these by Donald Deskey. I think you probably have to spend a good deal more time than I have to isolate the design principles in some of them, and then it’s sometimes difficult to decide why one is ‘good’ design and another not. But then, I’ve often thought that about art in general. The ultimate ‘challenge’ I guess is a square canvas painted with one single colour, perfectly flat, and figuring out how that comes to be a piece of art. Or what is the skill involved. A cynical person would say that the skill lies simply in selling the artwork to somebody.
Still, the real beauty surely lies in the fact that everybody has their own ideas, can like different things and enjoy them.

Advertisement

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Blogroll

  • Learn WordPress.com
  • Live to Write – Write to Live

Back Pages

  • July 2018 (1)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (2)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • October 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (2)
  • March 2016 (2)
  • February 2016 (2)
  • January 2016 (3)
  • August 2015 (1)
  • March 2015 (2)
  • February 2015 (1)
  • January 2015 (3)
  • December 2014 (2)
  • November 2014 (4)
  • April 2014 (2)
  • November 2013 (2)
  • October 2013 (1)
  • July 2013 (1)
  • June 2013 (2)
  • March 2013 (1)
  • February 2013 (2)
  • January 2013 (2)
  • December 2012 (3)
  • November 2012 (3)
  • October 2012 (4)
  • September 2012 (4)
  • August 2012 (1)
  • July 2012 (1)
  • May 2012 (1)
  • April 2012 (4)
  • March 2012 (2)
  • February 2012 (3)
  • January 2012 (3)
  • December 2011 (3)
  • November 2011 (5)
  • October 2011 (4)
  • September 2011 (2)

My Tags

Anthony Trollope Art Deco article ASG asymmetrical ATASDA Australian Sewing Guild blog blogging book books challenge Christmas clothes clouds colour commonplace book competition content craft creativity design dogs drawing electric embroidery fabric fashion illustration fence freelance Fremantle garden horses ideas inspiration in every issue Jeeves Koos van den Akker labrador language learning machine embroidery magazine Margaret Preston Mozilla novels op-shop origin of phrases pattern PG Wodehouse photography phrases project property quilting reading reconstructed recycled Roald Dahl sayings ScribeFire seo sewing skirt Threads magazine transfer dyes Tris Hussey TS14Plus upcycled water weather Wooster Wordpress words workshop writing

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • julielivingstone
    • Join 36 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • julielivingstone
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
%d bloggers like this: