Unique Perspective on Critique

We all can have different opinion of painting, but I came across this beautiful way of expressing this which got stuck with me. Here is the image by Mark Tansey, "A Short History of Modernism" to illustrate the point.

"What someone takes from an image or design is a product of what they bring to it !" - David A. Lauer in Design Basics.



David says that the critique process can include a range of responses suggested by Mark Tansey painting.

• Your work subjected to aggressive cleansing process
• You may feel you are butting your head against the wall.
• And that someone takes from an image or design is a product of what they bring to it!

Difference between Movement and Rhythm in a design

Movement is the illusion of motion created by lines, shapes or color that cause the eye to move over the design along those shapes, where as rythm is the regular repetition of lines, shapes, or color that creates a pattern to the overall design. A rythm in the picture can also create a movement. For example the famous Starry Night painting by Van gogh,



The picture shows movement by the unique painting of cloud/wind which seems to move from left to write, where as the same style of shape is used for stars, moon and the overall color gives a rythm to the whole design.

To create rythm in the picture you need to have repetition of line, shape, color, or style in the picture or a combination of these things.

To create movement, the design should have a sense of flow in the picture, a sense of direction. A rythm in the picture can also cause a movement.

How would you create them ?

The Gestalt Theory of Visual Psychology

In an attempt to organize the various elements of a composition, a designer's job is actually made simpler by the viewer, because he or she is looking for some sort of organization, some way to relate the various elements. Psychologically, the viewer wants to find some sort of discernible pattern or unity within a design. The viewer will always try to create order out of chaos. The Gestalt theory of visual psychology tries to explain this phenomenon by providing a set of rules. These rules help predict what a viewer's perception will be when given certain visual stimuli.

The Six laws of perceptual organization are:

1. Pragnanz (Good Figure)
2. Similarity
3. Good Continuation
4. Proximity
5. Common Fate
6. Familiarity

Pragnanz (Good Figure)



The law of Pragnanz or the law of good figure states that every stimulus pattern is seen in such a way that the resulting structure is as simple as possible. This means that the viewer will always try to organize the elements of a design into the simplest pattern possible. A square that is overlapping a triangle is seen as two simple overlapping shapes, rather than a single more complex polygon.

Similarity



The law of similarity states that similar visual elements appear to be grouped together. Elements of a design that look alike are organized into a group. So squares are visually grouped together with other squares, and circles are visually grouped together with other circles.

Good Continuation



The law of good continuation states that a series of visual elements connected in a straight or curved line is seen as belonging together. A series of forms lined up in a path will be visually grouped together, even if that path is interrupted by another form. The law also states that lines tend to be seen in such a way as to follow the smoothest path.

Proximity



The law of proximity states that visual elements which are near to each other are grouped together. Even if the elements of a design are not similar in form, they may be seen as belonging together if they are close to each other in the composition. A circle and a square will be grouped together if they are in proximity of one another.

Common Fate



The law of common fate states that visual elements which appear to be moving in the same direction will be grouped together. Two forms with similar orientations will appear to belong with one another. For example, a triangle and a rectangle will be grouped together if they both appear to be moving in the same direction in the composition.

Familiarity



The law of familiarity states that visual elements are more likely to form a group if that group of elements appears meaningful or familiar. If the individual forms of a design create a larger, more recognizable form, then those forms are grouped together. If a rectangle and a triangle are arranged in such a way that they resemble the form of a house, then those shapes are seen as a group.

These six laws of perceptual organization allow us to represent objects from the real world in a two-dimensional composition. They explain how a viewer is able to take a bunch of seemingly disparate shapes in a design and organize them into something recognizable. An understanding of these six laws will help you make decisions on how to arrange the individual elements of your design, and predict how they will be perceived.