Chapter 11 Balance

Chapter 11 Balance

Balance as it applies to design is how each element of the design compare to the other elements of the design. Balance in a design is about being able to equally fill the design with elements. The point of focus in a design is the place that grabs your attention, all the other elements will be around this one element of the design. Good designs will have implied lines directing your eyes to the point of focus in the design. The rule of thirds is when you divide your design into thirds and place your object of interest or your point of focus into one of the thirds you divided, and giving them each an equal amount of balance. The golden spiral is a form of composition that is rooted in the rule of thirds, but then each third is divided into thirds, and then that third is divided into thirds until there is nothing left to divide, and if a line were drawn to connect all the rectangles that have been formed than it would create a spiral throughout the image. Radial balance is when an image "radiates" from a central point out, and crystallographic balance is when you use a uniform pattern throughout the design creating balance. When using color an element can be given more visual weight by picking colors that stand out in the composition, or by distributing them equally throughout the design. Darker colors will have a heavier visual weight if the other colors are light, but if all the other colors are dark they will visually have the same weight as the other colors, but if you put lighter colors with the dark colors the lighter colors will Carry more visual weight. Implied motion affects balance because in most images if one side is empty it will appear as though one side of the image is heavier, but with implied motion the figure that has the implied movement adds weight into the area that it is "going into".