Exploring the Elements & Principles The elements of design are important to everyone who works in textiles … The more you talk about and play with the elements and principles of design …

A design is a visual plan you can use to create your 4-H project. Everything you can see has a design. When you describe something you see, you use words that tell about the lines, shapes, colors, textures, and spaces. Line, shape, color, texture, and space are the basic elements of design. Color. Color is described with the words hue, value, and intensity. Hue refers to the name of the color—red or blue, for example. Value tells the lightness or darkness of a hue. Intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of a hue. You can use a color wheel and learn how colors work together in the publication, 4H-633, Color. Texture. Texture is the surface quality of an item. It’s how something feels when touched, or looks like it would feel if touched. Sandpaper is rough. Velvet is smooth. A drawing of a tree stump could show rough outer bark and a smooth inner surface. Search for ways to add texture to your projects. Texture adds variety and interest. Principles of Design. Some combinations of design elements (line, shape, color, texture, and space) work better than others. Here are some guidelines to help you understand why some combinations work and others do not work as well. These guidelines— rhythm, proportion, emphasis, balance, and unity —are the principles of design. Space Space refers to the area that a shape or form occupies. It also refers to the background against which we see the shape or form. Space can be defined as positive and negative. The positive space of a design is the filled space in the design—often it is the shapes that make up the design. Negative space is the background. The negative space in design is as important as the positive area. Rhythm. You have felt rhythm in music. Rhythm is also a part of things you see. It allows the eye to move from one part of a design to another part. Rhythm can be created by: • Repeating a color, shape, texture, line, or space when designing. • Varying the size of objects, shapes, or lines in sequence (small to large). • Using a progression of colors from tints to shades (light blue to dark blue). • Shifting from one hue to a neighboring hue (yellow to yellow-orange to orange to red-orange to red). Proportion. Proportion refers to the relationship between one part of a design and another part or to the whole design. It is a comparison of sizes, shapes, and quantities. For example, the relationship between the vertical and horizontal measurements of a wall hanging may be pleasing because the unequal lengths produce an interesting contrast. Balance. Balance gives a feeling of stability. There are three types of balance. Symmetrical, or formal balance, is the simplest kind. An item that is symmetrically balanced is the same on both sides. Our bodies are an example of formal balance. If you draw an imaginary line from your head to your toes dividing your body in half, you will be pretty much the same on both sides…

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