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Design principles
Principles
The principles of design apply not only to Flower arranging but to every
kind of artistic discipline. They evolved over centuries as artists recognized
why some designs worked well and others did not. As you work with floral
material, keep all of these principles in mind to achieve a harmonious,
finished product.
- BALANCE
refers to the sense of stability in an arrangement. A well-balanced
design leaves no sense of its being lopsided or top-heavy when viewed
from any angle. Symmetry is usually associated with balance although
an assymmetrical design with a low centre of balance can be successfully
created. Locating the focal point properly is necessary to provide a
feeling of stability.
- SCALE and PROPORTION
both touch on relationships between aspects of an arrangement. However,
while scale refers to actual sizes of objects, proportion deals with
areas and quantities. For example, a large, heavy container would be
out of scale with small Flowers and an arrangement would be out of proportion
if its height were three times that of the container.
- RHYTHM (of course)
brings movement to mind and it is the movement of the eye through an
arrangement that sustains interest and produces a sense of beauty. This
flow is created by using contrasts of color, form and depth; curving
or irregular lines; changes in texture; repetition and graduation of
color or size.
- CONTRAST
emphasizes the differences between two elements and, in so doing, brings
both into greater prominence. It is also used to prevent boredom from
creeping into an arrangement.
- DOMINANCE
refers to the ability of an element to command interest. It is closely
related to balance and often the dominant feature is found at the focal
point of a design in the form of massed color or unusual shape.
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