Balance

1. How is visual weight different than physical weight?

- Physical weight is a measure of physical force that an object exerts on the world. Visula weight, however, is a measure of how much pressure a part of a composition holds compared to other parts of the composition.

2. What happens to objects when they get close to the edges of a composition?

- Near the top, they seem to float and towards the bottom they seem to sink away

3. Why are human beings more comfortable with balanced compositions?

- As humans, we desire predicability and stability. Balance gives us a sense of maintaining this.

4. What happens when there is imbalance?

- it lends a sense of chaos and throws off our equalibrium. This can sometimes be overwheling and disorienting or can lead us to ponder the composition more.

5. Is there a place for purposeful imbalance? Give some examples.

- yes, to make your composition frightening or disorienting and therefore evoke a negative emotion that violates serenity

6. Why is symmetrical balance so popular in architecture?

- Because symmetrical balance gives a feeling of serenity and stability. Architects want people to feel happy and secure in their buildings.

7. Can different types of balance be used in a single composition?

- Yes. Shape, color, and rhythm are all separate concepts and can be used independantly of each other or together.

8. How many ways are there to achieve asymmetrical balance? Name them.

- scale and proportion, rhythm, emphasis, contrast, and placement.

9. Is radial balance always symmetrical? Why or why not?

- No, a spiral is balanced, but not symmetrical.

Emphasis

1. Why is it important to design the positive and the negative shapes of a composition?

- The relation of the positive shape and negative shape in a composition defines the state of the shape and composition, whether it is dynamic or static, leaden or buoyant. A carefully designed negative and positive shape of a composition lends energy to the entire composition/

2. What is the difference between representational shapes and abstract shapes?

- Representational shapes are derived from specific subject matter and direct observation, lending themselves to be highly descriptive. Abstract shapes are defined from a form of reality, but are distilled and transformed to represent a certain aspect of the source instead of the whole.

3. What are some of the ways emphasis can be achieved?

- Isolation, Placement, Contrast

4. What kind of subjects attracts attention?

- Any representation of another human

5. What happens when there are too many focal points?

- If there are too many focal points, they begin to compete with each other and lose power. Also, chaos is created and the viewer becomes overwhelmed.

6. Why is emphasis important, especially for graphic designers?

- Graphic Designers have a message that they want other people to notice. Emphasis allows that message to stand out and be noticed. Without emphasis, the message might be lost.

7. Which is more important: a strong focal point or unity?

- Unity is arguably more important. Unity gives a composition potential energy and without it, a focal point is useless. Without a focal point, there is nothing to release that energy, but a composition can still be pleasing.

Unity and Design

How can mistakes help you learn?
- Mistakes are essential to learning because they cause us to try ideas over and over. They allow us to be courageous and attempt ideas that more skilled artists may not. Mistakes can also cause us to try things that we may not think of on our own, spawning their own creative ideas.

Why is "design" so important to visual communication?
- Design is so important to visual communication because without it and the careful construction that comes from it, a great idea can be lost.

What is the best way to get creative compositions and ideas?
- By sketching lots of compositions and exploring lots of ideas. Selecting the best among rough sketches that you make allow you a better chance of getting your idea across the best.

In your own words, define the word "design".
- Design is the process of taking an idea and fleshing it out little by little through tiny mistakes and options, then ultimately choosing the creative concept that best displays your idea.

Why is composition important in graphic design?
- Composition helps all of the separate parts of a graphic come together and work as a team, allowing the positive attributes of each of the separate pieces to become amplified and more effective. It takes a potentially chaotic idea and harmonizes it so that the idea is clear to the viewer.

What happens when a design is too unified?
- Excessive unity can be monotonous and boring, leading the eye to nothing in particular.

What happens when a composition lacks unity?
- Not enough unity is chaotic and overwhelming and does not give the eye a direction, causing the idea that the artist is trying to convey to be lost.

How many different ways are there to create unity?
- Six essential ideas of Gestalt Unity are discussed, but there seem to be quite a few different theories and techniques.

How can one make compositions that are more memorable?
- If an artist creates an implied composition where the viewer completes the image or idea in their mind, it is often much more memorable than an explicit image.

What does Gestalt psychology have to do with all of this?
- The theory of Gestalt tells us that the human mind explores an image holistically and then breaks it down into parts. These techniques help our mind determine what should be considered a whole and then how the separate parts should be broken down. When there are many layers of whole parts that an image can be broken down into, the mind has to do much more work, causing the separate parts to be remembered more easily.

Introduction

1. I was born in Maryville, Illinois. My hometown was a short distance away in Troy, Illinois. It was a small, semi-rural town of around 7000 people.

2. I have already graduated with a Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, but was not satisfied with my education there. Everything was completely theory based and had little practical explanation or instruction. I prefer to learn things in a hands-on way with examples that can be use immediately in real life.

3. My favorite artist is probably Leonardo DaVinci, though more for his notes than traditional art. My favorite musicians are the band members of Boston. My favorite filmmaker is Mel Brooks.

4. Well, I've been using computers since I was quite little as my dad has been a computer operator for the past 40 years. I have been doing web design for the past 11 years and have worked at the CITES HelpDesk doing technical support for the last three and a half. I am pretty comfortable with technology.

5. I am very concerned with the state of my gourd.