Balance
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| balance/ˈbæləns/ | An arrangement in which competing parts or influences are kept in a suitable proportion. |
| principles of design/ˈprɪnsɪplz ɒv dɪˈzaɪn/ | principles of design |
| visual weight/ˈvɪʒuːəl weɪt/ | How strongly a shape, colour, or mark pulls the eye. |
| symmetrical balance/sɪˈmetrɪkl ˈbæləns/ | symmetrical balance |
| asymmetrical balance/ˌeɪsɪˈmetrɪkl ˈbæləns/ | asymmetrical balance |
| radial balance/ˈreɪdɪəl ˈbæləns/ | radial balance |
Weight that feels stable
- Balance 平衡 is the visual distribution of weight so a work feels stable.
- It is the first of the principles of design 设计原则.
- Visual weight 视觉重量 comes from size, colour, value, and position.
Select all things that give a shape visual weight.
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Size, colour, and value give visual weight; a title does not.
Symmetrical and asymmetrical
- Symmetrical balance 对称平衡 mirrors both sides of a central axis — calm and orderly.
- Asymmetrical balance 非对称平衡 uses different elements of equal visual weight — dynamic.
- A small bright shape can balance a large dull one.
Leonardo's Vitruvian Man: the figure is drawn with near-perfect symmetry about a central vertical axis, and the surrounding circle gives it radial balance 辐射平衡 too
Which kind of balance?
Sort each example by its type of balance.
A design that mirrors both sides of a central axis has ____ balance.
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Symmetrical balance mirrors both sides of an axis.
A small bright shape can never balance a large dull shape.
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False. Brightness adds visual weight, so a small bright shape can balance a much larger dull one.
Match each balance to its feel.
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Symmetrical = calm; asymmetrical = dynamic; radial = from centre.
Radial balance
- Radial balance arranges elements around a central point.
- Think of a flower, a wheel, or a mandala.
- The eye is drawn to the centre from which everything radiates.
Balance that arranges elements around a central point is called ____ balance.
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Radial balance radiates from a central point.
Balance is not the same as symmetry. Symmetrical balance mirrors both sides, but asymmetrical balance can feel just as stable using different elements of equal visual weight. A picture can be perfectly balanced without being symmetrical.
On the left, one large dark tree; on the right, three small bright birds. The sides look nothing alike, yet the picture feels balanced because their visual weight matches — a clear case of asymmetrical balance.
Balance distributes visual weight for stability. Symmetrical balance mirrors an axis (calm); asymmetrical balance uses different elements of equal weight (dynamic); radial balance radiates from a centre.
Write from 1 large shape and 2 small ones
- The left side has 1 large dark shape.
- The right side has 2 small dark shapes.
A design has 1 large dark shape on the left and 2 small dark shapes on the right. What kind of balance is this, if the two sides feel equally weighted?
Different arrangements can still feel equally heavy.
What kind of balance uses 1 large shape against 2 small ones?
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The sides differ, but their visual weight can still match.