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