Balance

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BALANCE - SYMMETRY

Balance is concerned with the distribution of visual interest -- what is where

in a composition.

There are two systems for controlling balance:

Symmetry a mirror image

Asymmetry without symmetry

In this lesson you will:

Learn about symmetry.

Make a symmetrically balanced composition.

It is necessary to

balance many

things in a

composition: visualinterests this

lesson!" unity and

variety" figure andground" realism

and abstraction as

well as manylogistical concerns

time" space" cost"

etc.!.

BALANCEBalance is a skill that everyone uses almost all of their waking

hours. It is balance that allows you to stand up and walk around.

#ou balance your checkbook and hopefully find a balance between your academic and social life.

Balance in design is similar to these kinds of balance. #ou have

already had to balance between unity and variety" and in the last pro$ect balance figure and ground. #our physical sense of

balance will play a part in your ability to balance the visual

information in a composition.

Visual interest is what you balance in design. %ifferent colors"

shapes si&es" etc. create different degrees of interest. It is thedistribution of this interest that you need to control. 'e will

study the abstract non-figurative! aspects of balance to make it

easier to understand how balance works. (ub$ect matter changesthe situation because different ob$ects can call more or less!

attention to themselves because of their content and

relationships to other ob$ects in the image.

Balance can also be described as achieving e)uilibrium. The

problem with this definition is that artists rarely want things to

be e)ual. It usually means that no part of the composition callstoo much attention to itself at the e*pense of the rest of the

image. This increases unity" but decreases variety" and hence

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interest.

Balance is usually a desirable characteristic of a composition.There are times" however" when it is desirable to deliberately

throw the balance off in order to call more attention to some

aspect of an image. +or this lesson we will attempt to achieve balance as a way of learning how to control attention in a piece

of art.

There are two systems for achieving balance: symmetry and

asymmetry.

The word

symmetry comes

from the ,reek

roots syn" meaningwith or together"

and metron"meaning measure.

SYMMETRY (ymmetry means a mirror image -- one side

is the mirror image of the other. (ymmetry

can occur in any orientation as long as the

image is the same on either side of the central a*is.

This type of image has great appeal -- it makes for good shaperelationship. Many people automatically gravitate to symmetry.

'e are symmetrical after all -- two eyes" two ears" etc.. Look

around at consumer products and graphics printed materials! tosee how many use symmetry. #ou will find that it is the

dominant organi&ational concept.

(ymmetrical

balance is formal

balance.

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE vertical a*is is re)uired to achieve balance with symmetry.

/art of the reason is that we have struggled throughout our lives

to perfect our balance in order to stand" walk" ride a bike" etc..To do this we must have e*actly the same weight on both sides

of our bodies. 0ur a*is of symmetry is vertical and this makes a

good model for symmetry in visual information.

(ymmetrical balance is also called formal balance because a

form formula! is used -- a mirror image about a vertical axis.

The results look formal" organi&ed and orderly.

There is a strong emphasis on the center a*is in symmetry since

all of the information is reflected from there. This should betaken into consideration when designing with symmetry. It is

easy to over emphasi&e the center.

(ymmetrical balance guarantees left to right balance" which is

the most important aspect of balance. But there is more to

balance than that. Top to bottom balance is also important. Most

images seem more stable if the bottom seems slightly heavier. If

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the top seems too heavy the composition can look precarious.

Balance between the center and the outsides of the image mustalso be considered. +ortunately our own sense of balance is

usually good enough to feel when the balance in a composition

is wrong. /ay attention to your own sense of balance and youwill do well. #our sense of balance" like anything else" can be

improved with practice and e*perience.

TYPES OF SYMMETRY(ymmetry means that the sides are e*act mirror images of each

other. This limits symmetry1s application to abstract images

since ob$ects in the real world are not truly symmetrical. Tryfolding a leaf down the center and notice that the opposite sides

do not e*actly correspond with one another. +ine artists rarely

use pure symmetry for this reason. It is more applicable to

commercial designs.

NEAR SYMMETRY 2ear symmetry is based on symmetry but the two halves are not

e*actly the same. (light variations will probably not change the

balance but there is more potential for variety and hence moreinterest. 'hen the sides become too different" symmetry ceases

to e*ist and balance must depend on other concepts

asymmetry!.

2ear symmetry is more versatile than pure

symmetry. It is used in many graphicimages since type throws off the symmetry

but the balance is still achieved. It is also

occasionally used for formal fine artimages" especially early 3hristian religious

paintings.

INVERTED SYMMETRYInverted symmetry uses symmetry with one half inverted like a playing cards. This is an interesting variation on symmetry but

can make for an awkward balance.

BIAXIAL SYMMETRY symmetrical composition can have more than one a*is of symmetry. Bia*ial symmetry uses two a*es of symmetry --

vertical and hori&ontal. These guarantee balance: top and

bottom as well as left and right. The top and bottom can be thesame as the left and right" or they can be different. The most

regular and repetitive image occurs when they are the same.

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More than two a*es are possible. (now flakes and

kaleidoscopes have three a*es of symmetry.

Radial symmetry is a related concept and can use any number

of a*es since the image seems to radiate out from the center" likea star.

UNITY AND VARIETY(ymmetrical images have a strong sense of unity because at

least half of the image is repeated. t the same time they lack

variety because only half is uni)ue. bia*ial image is onlyuni)ue in one fourth of its format since that fourth is repeated in

all the corners.

'hen the top4bottom and left4right are the same" only one

eighth is uni)ue. s the repetition increases" so does the unity.In other words symmetrical images are usually well balanced

and formal with good unity" but can lack e*citement since theyare so repetitive.

The strong sense of order and repetition make symmetricalimages more acceptable to many people. That is why they are

used so often in the applied arts. It is for the same reason that

symmetry is rarely used in the fine artist. It is not that order is

not wanted" but rather that variety is wanted to generate interestand to give the artist more freedom.

ASYMMETRYsymmetry" also known as informal balance" means withoutsymmetry. #ou will study asymmetry ne*t.

PROJECT

Student example

#1

SYMMETRICAL COMPOSITIONMake a symmetrically balanced collage using only circles"triangles and4or rectangles. The shapes can overlap or be

trimmed to make new shapes. 5p to four colors may be used.

The composition must have a vertical a*is of symmetry. Bia*ialsymmetry may be used. There should be no reference to sub$ect

matter. Make the pro$ect as large as possible from a 6 inch by 78

inch piece of colored paper. 0ne of the four colors can be usedas a border.

(tart with thumbnail sketches. 9emember that there will be

repetition so only half" or a fourth" of the image needs to bedrawn. It is easier to see the composition" however" if the whole

design is drawn. /lan on designing the ma$or shapes and to

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Student example

#2

Student example

#3

e*periment with the details once the collage is

under way. Make some of the shapes )uite large

to increase variety.

%ecide what colors you will use. Try stacking

several sets of colored paper" varying the orderand the amount of each that shows until you find

a color scheme that will work. Try to make all of the colors

e)ually visible" but vary the amount of each to get more variety.

Try to make all of the colors operate as figure in the design.lso try to make all the colors act as ground so that there is not

one background. 5se what you learned in the last pro$ect to

control the figure4ground relationship.

+illing in the thumbnail sketches can make it easier to see color

and value relationships. 5se different values" or lines and dots"to indicate the different colors. 5sing colored pencils or felt

pens will let you see more clearly what your design will look

like. Be careful of white shapes that fade out into the

background.

The collage rough becomes the

finished pro$ect

when you glue

down the pieces.

COLLAGE ROUGH full si&ed rough is not usually necessary" or desirable in thistype of pro$ect. Move all of the parts of the composition around

like you did for the ambiguous figure4ground pro$ect" trying

different combinations" proportions and relationships before you

are satisfied. Try taking pieces off. If they are not missed" leavethem off. lso try adding more pieces if part of the image lacks

interest. 'orking this way is called using a collage rough

collage is not done until the last piece is glued in place.

5nity and balance are more or less assured. It is interest that you

need to work toward getting. 5se your sense of balance todetermine if the image is correctly balanced. It should not look

top or bottom heavy or be too crowded in the center or along the

edges.

'hen you are satisfied with the composition" measure" mark

and carefully glue the image together. (ince there may be manylayers of paper involved" either glue pieces from the top of the

stack down or from the bottom up.

DISPLAYThis pro$ect and the ne*t asymmetry! will make a set like the









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last two pro$ects did. Mount this pro$ect on the left or top page

of the set. Label this pro$ect SYMMETRY. Mount this pro$ectfirst in a set of two with the ne*t pro$ect like the two

figure4ground pro$ects!.

This pro$ect is worth 7 points.

If you want your interior decorating to stimulate the senses, you must keep in mind the principlesof Balance, Unity and Scale (BUS). Balance refers to the proper balance or weight distribution of a combination of objects. hen arranging a wall grouping, you want to choose either asymmetrical or asymmetrical balance. Symmetrical balance refers to arrangements where themajority of the objects within the grouping are placed in e!en patterns about a focal point, such assconces around a picture. hen you draw an imaginary line down the center of a symmetricalgrouping, each side should mirror the other. "symmetrical balance is more interesting to the eye,but is more difficult to achie!e. In asymmetrical groupings, items are arranged so that it yourgrouping is balanced, but the objects on either side of the focal piece are not necessarily thesame. In both types of groupings, drawing a line down the center of your focal point will allow you

to determine if you ha!e achie!ed balance, as the amount of space taken up with accessories oneach side of the grouping should be appro#imately the same. Unit is achie!ed by consideringall parts of a grouping, including your layout, color, and theme. $ach item should be arranged tocreate a single, harmonious effect that is pleasing, functional, and relati!e to the other parts of theroom. Unity can be attained by placing items within a grouping fairly close together,appro#imately one palm%s width apart, so the eye can mo!e easily from one object to the other.

"chie!ing unity does not necessarily mean that all items must ha!e the same colors or finishes,but rather these items are linked by a common color, theme, or element that ties them alltogether. Scale refers to the relationship between all the items in a room. Scale should beconsidered in relationship to the placement of furniture within a room. &bjects on the wall mustbe large enough or small enough to complement the furnishings. 'he dimensions of the room,the sie of the wall you%re co!ering, and the proportions of your furniture are all important toachie!e scale within a room. See my ome *ecor page for e#citing additions to your interior

decor. I would be happy to assist you with achie!ing the look you want in your home.

!alance 'hat is it and how is it achieved on a flat surface; To answer this )uestion" wemust first think of a three dimensional work of art. If the pieces were not physically

balanced or anchored" they would fall over. +or images created on a flat surface such as a

canvas the same principle of balance applies. <owever" instead of having actual or

physical balance" the artist needs to create an illusion of balance" referred to as

visual balance.

In visual balance" each area of the painting suggests a certain visual weight" a certain

degree of lightness or heaviness. +or e*ample" light colors appear lighter in weight thandark colors. Brilliant colors visually weigh more than neutral colors in the same areas.

'arm colors" such as yellow tend to e*pand an area in si&e" whereas cool colors like blue

tend to contract an area. nd transparent areas seem to visually weigh less than opa)ueareas.

Balancing the components of a painting can best be illustrated by weighing scales or a

child1s playground see-saw. =isually the scale can be pictured as an apparatus for

weighing or a see-saw which has a beam poised on a central pivot or fulcrum. In using

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this scale or see-saw" balance is not achieved through an actual physical weighing

process" but through visual $udgment on the part of the observer. In this respect" visual

balance refers to a felt optical e)uilibrium between all parts of the painting.

o balance a composition is to distribute its parts in such a way that the viewer issatisfied that the piece is not about to pull itself over 'hen components are balanced

left and right of a central a*is they are balanced horizontally. 'hen they are balancedabove and below they are said to be balanced vertically. nd when components are

distributed around the center point" or spring out from a central line" this is referred to as

radial balance.

There are two forms of visual balance. These are s ymmetrical balance, also known as

symmetry or formal balance" and asymmetrical balance, also known as asymmetry orinformal balance.

Symmetrical Balance

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(ymmetrical balance is when the weight is e)ually distributed on both

sides of the central a*is. (ymmetry is the simplest and most obvious type

of balance. It creates a secure" safe feeling and a sense of solidity.(ymmetrical balance can be achieved in two ways. 0ne way is by "pure

symmetry," and the other way is by "approximate symmetry."

In pure symmetry identical parts are e)ually distributed on either side of

the central a*is in mirror-like repetition. good e*ample of puresymmetry is the human face. It is the same on both the right side and the

left side of the nose. /ure symmetry has its place in certain art works"

however" because of its identical repetition" pure symmetry for acomposition can easily become too monotonous and uninteresting to

look at.

ppro*imate symmetry on the other hand has greater appeal and interest for the viewer.

The two sides of a composition are varied and are more interesting to view. >ven though

they are varied somewhat" they are still similar enough to make their repetitiousrelationship symmetrically balanced.

Asymmetrical Balance

symmetrical balance is when both sides of the central a*is are not identical" yet appearto leave the same visual weight. It is a felt e)uilibrium or balance between the parts of a

composition rather than actual. If the artist can feel" $udge or estimate the various

elements and visual weight" this should allow him4her to balance them as a whole. s aresult" a more interesting composition will occur in the work.

The use of asymmetry in design allows for more freedom of creativity" because there areunlimited arrangements that may be devised using asymmetrical balance. The way to use

asymmetry is by balancing two or more une)ual components on either side of the fulcrum by varying their si&e" value or distance from the center.

Examples of The Effective Use Of Balance

Radial Balance

This flower resting a tea cup on the left

is a good e*ample of radial balance. The pedals radiate out from a central point.

0n the right radial balance is created by

the flowers which spring out of the

center of the vase.

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Horizontal Balance

Vertical Balance

%o you see the vertical balance suggested in the painting onthe left; Look at where the foreground ends and you will

)uickly see how it is balanced by the building in the background.

The painting on the right is a little more obvious init1s vertical balance. 2otice how the three ob$ects in

the top part of the painting balance the apparent

heaviness of the one ob$ect the plate of pancakes! inthe lower part of the painting.

$V

!A%A&'(

There seems to be a strife between opposing forces at the basis of all things" a strife in

which a perfect balance is never attained" or life would cease. The worlds are kept on

their courses by such opposing forces" the perfect e)uilibrium never being found" and sothe vitalising movement is kept up. (tates are held together on the same principle" no

(tate seeming able to preserve a balance for long? new forces arise" the balance is upset"

and the (tate totters until a new e)uilibrium has been found. It would seem" however" to be the aim of life to strive after balance" any violent deviation from which is accompanied

by calamity.

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nd in art we have the same play of opposing factors" straight lines and curves" light and

dark" warm and cold colour oppose each other. 'ere the balance between them perfect"

the result would be dull and dead. But if the balance is very much out" the eye isdisturbed and the effect too dis)uieting. It will naturally be in pictures that aim at repose

that this balance will be most perfect. In more e*citing sub$ects less will be necessary" but

some amount should e*ist in every picture" no matter how turbulent its motive? as in goodtragedy the horror of the situation is never allowed to overbalance the beauty of the

treatment.

88 Between (traight Lines and 3urves

Let us consider in the first place the balance between straight lines and curves. The richer

and fuller the curves" the more severe should be the straight lines that balance them" if

perfect repose is desired. But if the sub$ect demands e*cess of movement and life" of

course there will be less necessity for the balancing influence of straight lines. nd on theother hand" if the sub$ect demands an e*cess of repose and contemplation" the bias will be

on the side of straight lines. But a picture composed entirely of rich" rolling curves is too

dis)uieting a thing to contemplate" and would become very irritating. 0f the twoe*tremes" one composed entirely of straight lines would be preferable to one with no

s)uareness to relieve the richness of the curves. +or straight lines are significant of the

deeper and more permanent things of life" of the powers that govern and restrain" and ofinfinity? while the rich curves that is" curves the farthest removed from the straight line!

seem to be e*pressive of uncontrolled energy and the more e*uberant $oys of life. =ice

may be e*cess in any direction" but asceticism has generally been accepted as a noblervice than voluptuousness. The rococo art of the eighteenth century is an instance of the

e*cessive use of curved forms" and" like all e*cesses in the $oys of life" it is vicious and is

the favourite style of decoration in vulgar places of entertainment. The e*cessive use of

straight lines and s)uare forms may be seen in some ancient >gyptian architecture" butthis severity was originally" no doubt" softened by the use of colour" and in any case it is

nobler and finer than the vicious cleverness of rococo art.

887'e have seen how the ,reeks balanced the straight lines of their architectural forms

with the rich lines of the sculpture which they used so lavishly on their temples. But the balance was always kept on the side of the s)uare forms and never on the side of undue

roundness. nd it is on this side that the balance would seem to be in the finest art. >ven

the finest curves are those that approach the straight line rather than the circle" that err onthe side of flatnesses rather than roundnesses.

Between +lat and ,radated Tones

'hat has been said about the balance of straight lines and curves applies e)ually well to

tones" if for straight lines you substitute flat tones" and for curved lines gradated tones.

The deeper" more permanent things find e*pression in the wider" flatter tones" while ane*cess of gradations makes for prettiness" if not for the gross roundnesses of vicious

modelling.

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0ften when a picture is hopelessly out of gear and mucked up" as they say in the studio"

it can be got on the right road again by reducing it to a basis of flat tones" going over it

and painting out the gradations" getting it back to a simpler e)uation from which the rightroad to completion can be more readily seen. 0vermuch concern with the gradations of

the smaller modelling is a very common reason of pictures and drawings getting out of

gear. The less e*penditure of tone values you can e*press your modelling with" the better"as a general rule. The balance in the finest work is usually on the side of flat tones rather

than on the side of gradated tones. 'ork that errs on the side of gradations" like that of

,reu&e" however popular its appeal" is much poorer stuff 888than work that errs on theside of flatness in tone" like ,iotto and the Italian primitives" or /uvis de 3havannes

among the moderns.

Between Light and %ark Tones.

There is a balance of tone set up also between light and dark" between black and white inthe scale of tone. /ictures that do not go far in the direction of light" starting from a

middle tone" should not go far in the direction of dark either. In this respect note the pictures of 'histler" a great master in matters of tone? his lights seldom approach

anywhere near white" and" on the other hand" his darks never approach black in tone.'hen the highest lights are low in tone" the darkest darks should be high in tone. /ainters

like 9embrandt" whose pictures when fresh must have approached very near white in the

high lights" also approach black in the darks" and nearer our own time" +rank <oll forcedthe whites of his pictures very high and correspondingly the darks were very heavy. nd

when this balance is kept there is a rightness about it that is instinctively felt. 'e do not

mean that the amount of light tones in a picture should be balanced by the amount ofdark tones" but that there should be some balance between the e*tremes of light and dark

used in the tone scheme of a picture. The old rule was" I believe" that a picture should be

two-thirds light and one-third dark. But I do not think there is any rule to be observed

here: there are too many e*ceptions" and no mention is made of half tones.

Like all so-called laws in art" this rule is capable of many apparent e*ceptions. There is

the white picture in which all the tones are high. But in some of the most successful of

these you will generally 88@find spots of intensely dark pigment. Turner was fond of theselight pictures in his later manner" but he usually put in some dark spot" such as the black

gondolas in some of his =enetian pictures" that illustrate the law of balance we are

speaking of" and are usually put in e*cessively dark in proportion as the rest of the picture

is e*cessively light.

The successful one-tone pictures are generally painted in the middle tones" and thus do

not in any way contradict our principle of balance.

Between 'arm and 3old 3olours.

0ne is tempted at this point to wander a little into the province of colour" where the

principle of balance of which we are speaking is much felt" the scale here being betweenwarm and cold colours. If you divide the solar spectrum roughly into half" you will have

the reds" oranges" and yellows on one side" and the purples" blues" and greens on the

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other" the former being roughly the warm and the latter the cold colours. The clever

manipulation of the opposition between these warm and cold colours is one of the chief

means used in giving vitality to colouring. But the point to notice here is that the furtheryour colouring goes in the direction of warmth" the further it will be necessary to go in

the opposite direction" to right the balance. That is how it comes about that painters like

Titian" who loved a warm" glowing" golden colouring" so often had to put a mass of thecoldest blue in their pictures. ,ainsborough1s Blue Boy" although done in defiance of

9eynolds1 principle" is no contradiction of our rule" for although the boy has a blue dress

all the rest of the picture is warm brown and so the balance is kept. It is the failure toobserve this 88A balance that makes so many of the red-coated huntsmen and soldiers1

portraits in our e*hibitions so ob$ectionable. They are too often painted on a dark" hot"

burnt sienna and black background" with nothing but warm colours in the flesh" c." with

the result that the screaming heat is intolerable. 'ith a hot mass of red like a huntsman1scoat in your picture" the coolest colour should be looked for everywhere else. (een in a

2ovember landscape" how well a huntsman1s coat looks" but then" how cold and grey is

the colouring of the landscape. The right thing to do is to support your red with as many

cool and neutral tones as possible and avoid hot shadows. 'ith so strong a red" bluemight be too much of a contrast" unless your canvas was large enough to admit of its

being introduced at some distance from the red.

Most painters" of course" are content to keep to middle courses" never going very far inthe warm or cold directions. nd" undoubtedly" much more freedom of action is possible

here" although the results may not be so powerful. But when beauty and refinement of

sentiment rather than force are desired" the middle range of colouring that is to say" allcolours partly neutralised by admi*ture with their opposites! is much safer.

Between Interest and Mass.

There is another form of balance that must be although it is connected more with the

sub$ect matter of art" as it concerns the mental significance of ob$ects rather thanrhythmic )ualities possessed by lines and masses? I refer to the balance there is between

interest and mass. The all-absorbing interest of the human figure makes it often when

)uite minute in scale balance the weight and interest of a great 88Cmass. %iagram DD=IIis a rough instance of what is meant. 'ithout the little figure the composition would be

out of balance. But the weight of interest centred upon that lonely little person is enough

to right the balance occasioned by the great mass of trees on the left. +igures are largely

used by landscape painters in this way" and are of great use in restoring balance in a picture.

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%iagram DD=II.

ILL5(T9TI2, <0' I2T>9>(T M# BL23> M((

Between =ariety and 5nity.

nd lastly" there must be a balance struck between variety and unity. great deal hasalready been said about this" and it will only be necessary to recapitulate here that tovariety is due all the e*pression or the pictures)ue" of the $oyous energy of life" and all

that makes the world such a delightful place" but that to unity belongs the relating of this

variety to the underlying bed-rock principles that support it in nature and in all good art.

It will depend on the nature of the artist and on the nature of his theme how far thisunderlying unity will dominate the e*pression in his work? and how far it will be overlaid

and hidden behind a rich garment of variety.

88EBut both ideas must be considered in his work. If the unity of his conception isallowed to e*clude variety entirely" it will result in a dead abstraction" and if the variety is

to be allowed none of the restraining influences of unity" it will develop into a riotouse*travagance.

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Balance