Composition in design. Composition elements. Laws of composition

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Have you ever wondered why we like to look at some works of art, but not at others? The reason for this is the successful or unsuccessful composition of the depicted elements. It depends on her how a picture, a statue or even a whole building is perceived. Although at first glance it seems that it is not easy to foresee everything, in fact, creating a composition that will be pleasing to the eye is not so difficult. However, for this you need to know about the laws, principles and other components of it. Let's find out about it all.

What is design and what are its features?

Before considering the features of the composition, it is worth learning about such a concept as design. Although this word is often used in the modern lexicon, not everyone knows about its meaning.

This is the name of the type of artistic and technical activity,aimed at the formation of a harmonious objective environment that most fully satisfies the material and spiritual needs of the individual.

When creating a composition in design, two of its components are always at the forefront - practicality (functionality) and aesthetics (external beauty).

Views

The design itself is very versatile. At the same time, several of its main types can still be distinguished:

• Graphic - aimed at creating fonts, icons, corporate identity, various visual communications, etc. All images of this kind are created on a plane.
• Industrial - specializes in the development of machines, appliances, equipment, furniture, utensils, clothing. In this case, work is carried out not on a plane, but with volume.
• Architectural - is aimed at the development and construction of structures and their complexes (including the interior). The creator in this environment works with space.
• Design of the architectural environment. The most complex, as it is aimed at developing a complex-dynamic system of human habitat.
• The sphere design is one of the new types. It includes ecodesign, futuristic design, etc.
• Design for results. This type includes web design, computer and art design.

What is composition and why is it needed?

This word comes from the Latin compositio and means a harmonious combination of various elements of a work in such a way that they create the impression of a single whole.

Composition in design is the arrangement and connection of the parts of the product, due to their layout. It should correspond to their purpose, as well as the artistic and figurative intent of the creator, which reflects the likely expectations of the end user of the designed product.

A bit tricky, isn't it? In simpler terms, the phenomenon under study is the creation of such a work that the customer will like. Based on this explanation, it is clear that the purpose of composition in design is to attract the attention of a potential buyer.

Good, although the hero of the film "Gloss" explains his goal a little harshly: "The artist's business is to feel what is for sale … What is not for sale is not art!"

Geometric vs Composite Center: What's the Difference?

So, what does the composition consist of? First of all, creating it, you need to find a compositional center. Its purpose is to draw the audience's attention to the entire work. In fact, it is this detail that is the anchor that should "hook" the one who sees the finished product.

In addition to the compositional, in any work, the geometric center is also distinguished, which is actually its middle.

For a better perception of the work, of course, it is better when these two centers coincide, but this is not always the case.

There are a number of ways to focus on the compositional center, even if it is not located in the middle:

• Highlight it with color.
• Select withusing a different form from other elements of the composition.
• Highlight with special lighting.
• Highlights due to contrasting size compared to other details.

Composition elements

There are different classifications of composite elements. Most experts agree that there are three main ones:

• The point is a graphical accent on the plane.
• Line - in form it is characterized by extension or development on a plane in one coordinate direction (in length).
• Blot - unlike the above elements, it usually fills most of the graphics plane.

Main types of composition

As a rule, three basic types of composition are distinguished.

• Front - implies filling the entire plane with an image. Typically used when creating ornaments, carpets, mosaics, etc.
• Volumetric - refers to three-dimensional arts (architecture, sculpture, ceramics). In most cases, in order to view a product of this kind, it is necessary to walk around it from different angles, since it cannot be completely captured by the gaze from one angle.
• Volumetric-spatial composition in design - consists of several volumetric works located in space at certain intervals.

Composition laws

Although each creator is guided by his own taste (or the desire of the customer) when creating a design, there are certain laws of composition that still have to be observed, and far fromalways understanding this. The fact is that they were identified on the basis of many years of observation by psychologists of the ability of the human brain to perceive certain combinations of elements.

So there are three laws of composition:

• Integrity and unity. Thanks to them, the work is perceived as a whole, despite the numerous details. This law is based on two components - the indivisibility of the composition (the inability to perceive it as a collection of individual components) and the need for communication and consistency between the elements of the composition (for this it is important to track how all the details are "friendly" with each other and whether they are separated from each other). The specificity of this law lies in the fact that it applies only to the field of composition in the design of works of art.
• Balance. This is a state in which all elements are balanced with each other. Balanced parts of the whole acquire the so-called visual stability. Basically, this state is reduced to a balance in expressiveness. The balance in the product can be static (the image seems to be steadily still) and dynamic (its components give the impression of movement).

Subordination. This is the subordination of all compositional details to a single author's intention. In fact, this law implies the creation of a hierarchy in the work. According to it, the dominant (the center of the composition) stands out, to which all other elements obey

Funds

Considering the features of the composition, one cannot ignore such a question as the means for its creation. After all, it is they who help the creator to convey his idea as accurately as possible in the work. For many people in the arts, media are better known as the principles of composition in design.

Paradoxically, when all of them are met, it is difficult to understand them. But if at least one is broken in the finished work, it immediately catches the eye. Let's take a look at them to know what you should pay attention to not only when creating masterpieces, but also when considering and analyzing them.

Contrast is a sharp difference between elements, their opposition according to certain criteria (light and dark, long and short, etc.). In this way, the expressiveness of the finished work is enhanced. Contrast can be both one-dimensional and multidimensional

• Nuance - minor differences between elements in a composition within the same category. Highlight one-dimensional and multidimensional nuances.
• Identity. This is the name of the repetition of elements of the same, similar in quality. Such as size, shape or tone. Identity is a sign of the static nature of the whole combination.
• Symmetry/asymmetry. Symmetry is the uniformity of the distribution of parts relative to the geometric center. It is mirror, axial, mirror-axial and screw. Asymmetry is the lack of symmetry. Although our brains are oriented towards uniform images (violation of this balance is not perceived as well by them), sometimes asymmetric solutionsare more than impressive.
• Rhythm. Although it seems that such a phenomenon is characteristic only of music, it is also an important tool for the art of composition. In this area, rhythm means the alternation of various elements in a certain sequence. One of the most important is the repeatability of details (forms), as well as the intervals between them. Such repetitions are uniform, decreasing and increasing.

• Modularity is a universal design tool, but there is still no clear definition of "module". In general, this is how it is customary to call the value taken as the basis for the calculation of any subject.
• Proportionality - consistency, harmony, as well as proportionality in the combination of something. It is often perceived as proportionality. This tool is used in architecture or art.

Scaling is the most important means of architectural composition. It determines the ratio of the size of something (parts, divisions, details of the structure), which allows you to create a harmonious combination of them with the size of a person and the objects surrounding him. This tool is based on two principles: the human individual is the measure of all things; scale is determined by the ratio of individual parts and the whole

Physical properties of the shape

When creating a composition, it is always worth remembering that all depicted objects have certain spatialproperties:

• Geometric view. It is determined by the ratio of the sizes of geometric shapes according to the three coordinates of space, as well as the nature of the surface of the form. There are three types of shape: three-dimensional, flat, linear.
• Magnitude is a property that is measured in relation to human size or other shapes.
• Position. Geometric figures can be located in relation to each other or the viewer, both closer and further, above, below, to the left or to the right. Also, forms can be located in relation to others at one or several levels at once.
• Color - is one of the most important properties that can cause different visual sensations in accordance with the spectral composition of the light they reflect / emit. It has characteristics such as hue (hues), saturation (degree of brightness/fading) and lightness (reflectivity of the color surface). Usually, colors are usually divided into warm (from yellow to red) and cold (from green to purple). Such a division is associated with the energy spectral balance: warm shades carry most of the energy, and cold shades carry much less. As scientists have proven, color actively affects the human psyche. It can cause a variety of emotions and experiences (please, upset, invigorate, oppress). That is why a well-thought-out color composition in the design of any product is so important.

• Chiaroscuro - a property that is characterized by the distribution of dark and lightareas on the surface of the figure. It facilitates the perception of volume and relief by the observer, and is also able to visually generalize or dissect the volume or surface of an object. By the way, the relief of an object and its three-dimensionality are perceived as such precisely due to gradations and transitions from more illuminated areas to less.
• Texture - creates a visual image of the composition and is one of the main sources of tactile information. By the way, it is the difference in textures that makes it possible to distinguish similar substances in a black and white image: metal and water, snow and paper, etc. When planning a product, the choice of its texture is just as important as the choice of material. After all, the same substance can look very different with different processing.
• Texture. It plays the same important role in the process of perception of the finished composition as texture. After all, with its help it is possible to determine the signs of the structure of the material from which the object is made. Most often, this property is characteristic of wood, leather, and fabric. Textures very often act as a decorative element in the development of the project. A successful combination of texture with texture is primarily used to convey the natural quality of the material, revealing its aesthetic originality. In the case when the texture or texture of the substance is expressive, their impact on the viewer can be more effective than the influence of the product form itself. At the same time, their excessive flashiness can sometimes cause the opposite effect.

Composition fonts

In addition to all of the above,inscriptions (fonts) play a very important role in creating the original design of something.

They are constantly used for commemorative plaques, signs, inscriptions on packages or labels of industrial products, etc.

It is not uncommon for a type composition in design to play not only the role of a source of information, but also provide the aesthetic quality of a person's environment.

Depending on the purpose, the following categories of fonts are distinguished:

• Fine.
• Massive.
• Strict.
• Scenic.

The main aesthetic criteria when choosing one or another type of letters is the harmony of their proportions, the beauty of the pattern of each of them, readability, clarity and proportionality. To achieve these goals, dozens of new typefaces are created every year to meet the growing demand for original design.