Design Principles
Principles
The principles of design apply not only to Flower arranging but to
every kind of artistic discipline. They evolved over centuries as
artists recognized why some designs worked well and others did not. As
you work with floral material, keep all of these principles in mind to
achieve a harmonious, finished product.
- BALANCE refers to the sense of stability in an arrangement. A
well-balanced design leaves no sense of its being lopsided or top-heavy
when viewed from any angle. Symmetry is usually associated with balance
although an assymmetrical design with a low centre of balance can be
successfully created. Locating the focal point properly is necessary to
provide a feeling of stability.
- SCALE and PROPORTION both touch on relationships between aspects of
an arrangement. However, while scale refers to actual sizes of objects,
proportion deals with areas and quantities. For example, a large, heavy
container would be out of scale with small Flowers and an arrangement
would be out of proportion if its height were three times that of the
container.
- RHYTHYM (of course)brings movement to mind and it is the movement
of the eye through an arrangement that sustains interest and produces a
sense of beauty. This flow is created by using contrasts of color, form
and depth; curving or irregular lines; changes in texture; repetition
and graduation of color or size.
- CONTRAST emphasizes the differences between two elements and, in so
doing, brings both into greater prominence. It is also used to prevent
boredom from creeping into an arrangement.
- DOMINANCE refers to the ability of an element to command interest.
It is closely related to balance and often the dominant feature is
found at the focal point of a design in the form of massed color or
unusual shape.
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