Unity
You may have heard the expression, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." I have heard it said that the legendary rock band, the Beatles were never as great individually as they were together. The same principle applies to art. It is possible to use each element of design in a piece of art, but true skill lies in coordinating these elements.
In fact, multiple elements in a piece of art will either work together to create a unified whole, or against each other causing the artwork to have a disjointed feeling.
It is important to remember that even though the elements that you use may work successfully independently, they may not work when combined together with other elements. Unity is achieved by coordinating the elements of design so that each works well with the others.
In fact, multiple elements in a piece of art will either work together to create a unified whole, or against each other causing the artwork to have a disjointed feeling.
It is important to remember that even though the elements that you use may work successfully independently, they may not work when combined together with other elements. Unity is achieved by coordinating the elements of design so that each works well with the others.
In the example on the left, the artist has used repetition of shape (the birds) to create a sense of unity in the painting.
In the example on the right the artist has closely grouped together similar objects (birds) and used proximity to create a sense of unity. Unity is also achieved through the use of color, having all the flamingos share a similar color. |
Harmony
Harmony is a design principle that is achieved by using similar elements of design throughout the artwork. If used properly, harmony gives your artwork an uncomplicated feel and is visually satisfying.