PROPORTION {principle of design}

the relative scale of the various elements of a design in relation to each other and to the picture plane


-the proportion of individual elements in relation to one another can create a sense of pictorial space and hierarchy (scale of importance) within a composition


     ...larger elements generally feel closer and more important than smaller elements in the same image

Gustave Caillebotte

     ...if all elements within a composition are similarly scaled, the sense of space and hierarchy will flatten, resulting in a more simplified, two-dimensional image

Henri Matisse

-proportion also refers to the scale of elements in relation to the space or picture plane they occupy


     ...larger forms will feel in proportion within a large picture plane and smaller forms within a smaller picture plane (think of the size of furnishings in relation to the size of a room)

    ...individual forms that take up the entire picture plane (with very little negative space) will feel powerful and attention-grabbing, and strain against the border of the composition; in certain instances their proportion may feel overwhelming within the space

Walton Ford

     ...forms that take up very little of the picture plane (with ample negative space surrounding them) will feel diminutive and isolated, and require the viewer to look more closely at the image; in certain instances their proportion may feel overwhelmed by the space

H57

-consider the overall proportion of elements to one another and to the picture plane within the following images


     ...the forms within this photo feel large and formidable because of their size in relation to the size of the image, and the composition as a whole feels crowded due to the lack of negative space; in addition, each major element (the eiffel tower, the building at left, and the canopy of trees) takes up a similar amount of the picture plane, resulting in a lack of variety.

     ...the following image also feels crowded due to an abundance of similarly-sized elements; there is no sense of hierarchy and thus the overall effect is chaotic, which may be intentional

-it is important to understand that distorted proportion is a visual tool designers may use intentionally for a variety of reasons:


     ...for impact

George Orwell "1984" cover

     ...for humor

Jeff Koons

     ...for surprise

Ron Mueck

     ...and for emphasis

     ...when something is out of proportion it tricks the eye, forces us to look more closely, and provides visual cues for us to follow