Principle of Design – Balance
Balance is what gives your composition some sense of stability by guiding you where you can place elements of your composition to achieve equilibrium.
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Balance can be symmetrical or formal.
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Balance can be asymmetrical or informal.
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Balance can be radial.
[Guided Search]
You have seen a sample of each type of balance in a visual composition. It is important that you develop your ability to “see” the type of balance that is used and to be able to assess its effectiveness. Many websites can provide an expanded explanation of what balance is and how it is used. Looking at a variety of images will better enable you to recognize the type of balance evident in a visual display. Click http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/cgdt/balance.htm to view design theory websites or using your internet search engine, enter “principles of design balance” or “design principles balance” as a search term. You should view several different websites to ensure that you read a number of different articles on balance and view a wide variety of examples.
When you are done, ask yourself if you feel confident that you can identify the type of balance present in an image and what that balance implies in the image.
[Project]
In this training room, you are going to be building a visual composition in the form of an illustrative poster or presentation slide that will demonstrate the principles of design. Use a camera or image editing software to capture/create examples of each type of balance. Now add a brief caption for each image that describes the balance illustrated. Combine the three compositions into one larger image. Add “Balance” as a title to your composition. Make sure to arrange the objects in your image/poster in a visually pleasing way.
View the following videos to learn more about balance in visual images.
