Students will be introduced to the Principles of Design, identify these principles in artwork and utilize these aspects in their personal artwork.

Created by Alisa Ripley, August 2007

The students will communicate ideas about themselves, their family, their school, and their community using sensory knowledge and life experiences.   TEKS §117.11. Fine Arts (3.1)(A)   TEKS §117.14. Fine Arts (4.1)(A)   TEKS §117.17. Fine Arts (5.1)(A)

The students will learn appropriate vocabulary to discuss the use of art elements; color, texture, form, line, space, and value and art principles such as emphasis, pattern, rhythm, balance, proportion, and unity.   TEKS §117.11. Fine Arts (3.1)(B)     TEKS §117.14. Fine Arts (4.1)(B)     TEKS §117.17. Fine Arts (5.1)(B)

The student expresses ideas through original artworks, using a variety of media within their appropriate skill set. The student is expected to integrate a variety of ideas about self, life events, family, and community in original artworks; design original artworks; and invent ways to produce artworks and to explore photographic imagery, using a variety of art media and materials.   TEKS §117.11. Fine Arts (3.2)(A)(B)     TEKS §117.14. Fine Arts (4.2)(A)(B)     TEKS §117.17. Fine Arts (5.2)(A)(B)

The students will identify simple main ideas expressed in art.    TEKS §117.14. Fine Arts (4.3)(A)

The students will make informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others.   TEKS §117.11. Fine Arts (3.4)(A)(B)    TEKS §117.14. Fine Arts (4.4)(A)   TEKS §117.17. Fine Arts (5.4)(A) (B)

Lesson Objectives: Students will be introduced to the Principles of Design, identify these principles in artwork and utilize these aspects in their personal artwork.

The Principles of Design is the organization of the elements of art in a particular piece of art. Unity, Variety, Emphasis, Balance, Proportion, Pattern and Rhythm are the guidelines utilized by artist in their compositions. Understanding these principles help people think and talk about art.

Unity - a quality that occurs when all part of an artwork combine to create a sense of completion and wholeness.

Variety - a combination of the elements of art to provide interest in the artwork

Emphasis - the visual sense of importance given to objects or areas in artwork. This is accomplished with the size, color, shape or placement of an object or area to create dominance, contrast, or a focal point.

Balance - the ways an artwork is arranged to make the different parts seem equally important.

• Symmetrical Balance - (formal balance) type of balance where both sides of a center line are the same, or about the same. Example: our faces, our bodies.
• Asymmetrical Balance - (informal balance) type of balance where two sides of an artwork are not alike, but carry equal or nearly equal visual weight. Both sides look equally important but they are not the same.
• Radial Balance - a type of balance in which shapes or lines spread out from a center point, like a wheel.

Proportion - the size relationship of the parts of an artwork to each other and/or to the whole piece. Example: the size relationship of the nose to the whole face shows proportion.

Pattern - repetition of line, shape, color, texture, space or form in an artwork. A pattern is a model or plan to be followed when making something.

Rhythm - a sense of visual movement or motion caused by the repetition of the elements of art in an artwork. In music, rhythm refers to the pattern of the notes.

• Progressive Rhythm - Rhythm created by showing regular changes in a repeated element, such as a series of squares that progressively increase in size from small to large. The changes may also progress from top to bottom, or dark to light.
• Regular Rhythm - Rhythm in an artwork created by repeating the same element, such as a shape, without variation.
• Alternating Rhythm - Rhythm created by repeating two or more elements on a regular, interchanging basis.

Radial Balance and Pattern

Discussion: Radial Balance is a type of balance in which lines, shapes, and colors are coming out of a center point. A wheel is a perfect example of Radial Balance. The wheel has a center point. Lines, spokes, come out of the center point and attach to outer circle creating a wheel. Have the students look around the room, can they identify anything that has radial balance. Once they identify a radial balanced object or image have the students explain the balance details. Example: What is the center point? What elements are used from the center point?

Pattern is the repetition of shapes, colors, lines, space, forms and/or textures in artwork. We created repeating patterns in math. Square, circle, circle, square, and repeat. Pattern can be found on our clothes. A checker board is a repeating pattern of black and red squares. Have the students look around the room and find repeating patterns. Have the students identify the elements in the repeating pattern.

Activity:   Black Snowflakes

Supplies: Black construction paper, scissors, multiple colored tissue paper, glue and water mixed with paint brushes.
Time: 40 minutes
Note to Instructors: Some students will not finish in the allotted time. Have them store their work to be finished on another day when they have nothing else to do. When they are finished, attach to white matt board or foam board.

1. Fold paper in half and cut out a half circle on the fold edge.
2. Open the circle and use scissors to make a better circle. Fold the circle in half, folded in half again, and fold it in half again till you have a slice of pie shape, triangular.
3. With the scissors cut off the tip of the pie. Now cut triangles or circles along the folded edges of the black paper triangle.
4. Open up the black paper to see your radial balanced snowflake. The circles or triangles you cut have created open spaces coming out of the center space.
5. Select at least two colors of tissue paper and create a repeating color pattern on the open spaces of the snowflake. Example: Blue, Red, Blue, Red or create a pattern with more colors. Tear the tissue paper large enough to cover open space.
6. Use the paintbrush and apply the glue and water mix around the open space and place tissue onto glue. You can paint more glue/water over the tissue to make it stick.
7. Some of the pieces will be very moist upon completion. Allow time to dry before gluing onto white mat or foam board.

Radial balance and Pattern Activity Discussion:

Have the students view classmates’ artwork. Open a discussion asking the students if they are satisfied with their work? Why or Why not? When working on the principles of design we utilize many elements of art. Ask the students to identify the elements used? Ask them to explain why they selected the colors and final design techniques?

Radial Balance and Pattern Extensions:

Have the students visit related web sites. Several sites provide examples of the principles of design, including further dictionary explanations. Radial Balance example and art history lesson on the Gothic period Rose Windows:
http://www.imaginarylands.org/design.html
http://www.elore.com/Gothic/Features/Paris/north_rose.htm

The Artist Toolkit, sponsored by Minneapolis Institute of Art, is an excellent, interactive experience in the elements and principles of design. They provide artwork examples from their collection, using the examples to reinforce the students understanding of the material. This provides excellent examples of balance: http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/list.

USP Class Shares: Principles of Design (pdf)Rose Window, Notre Dame de Paris on TIDES Rose Window, Notre Dame de Paris on Gothic Dreams The Artist's Toolkit: Visual Elements and Principles Black construction paper
Scissors
Multi- colored tissue paper
Glue and water mixed with paint brushes

Vea esta lección en Español aquí.