elements and principals of design
- 1. 1 UNIT-1 DESIGN:- For succesfully designing a garment or decorating, it is necessary to understand what constitutes a good design. The entire purpose of spending the scarce resources like time, effort and money or designing and decorating a garment is to make it attractive and pleasing to the eye. A design can be defined as an arrangement of lines, shape, colours and texture, that create a visual image.Designing means moving from the state of randomness to the higher state of organization, to create a design or impression or to communicate an important / innovative idea. On the highest level of design is the careful and knowledgeable manipulation of art elements to produce an expressive personal idea. There are two basic divisions of designing in the field of clothing. There are two divisions which are often inseparable, which can be defined in other words as factors influencing the design. 1. Structural designing 2. Decorative designing 1. Structural Design Includes the all over design of a garment its form and shape plus all the details involved in assembling the sections of the garment such as darts, pleats, tucks etc. Structural design may add a decorative quality if emphasized by colour contrast or row of top stitching to outline the basic garment parts. In apparel, structural
- 2. 2 design is more important because it is the fundamental component of design. 2. Decorative design These designs need the basic form and the designs drawn will be draped over it. It will have more trimmings, prints, embroidery, buttons and tacked on bows. In these designs the fabric, style and colour combinations are described so that one can select the design. To enhance the beauty and personality of the person, elements of design and its principles should be used appropriately. Requirements of good structural design: • It should be well proportion • It should be suited to the purpose • It should be suited to the material with which it is made. • It should be simple. • It is far more importance than decorative design because it is essential to every object or garment whereas decorative is the luxury of design. • Character and individuality in line, form or texture. Structural design depends on the form and fabric. It is also created by the construction details as a design. It is inherit in all garments. Because it creates in construction details together including seams, collars, pockets and texture of the fabric. It is an integral part of the garment is a structural design. It may be very simple or to be very elaborate simple or to be very elaborate.
- 3. 3 In a garment of a solid colored fabric, its structural design is its silhouette, neckline, placement of the waistline, sleeves, length, location and fitting of darts and tucks. Structural design is far more important than decorative design since every garment has it, while decorative design may or not be added. • Design appropriate to its use and to the needs of the wearer. • Silhouette pleasingly related to the body structure and expressive of that time. • Well proportion individual parts that offer unity with variation. Requirements of good decorative design: • Decorative design should be used in moderate the design and quality. • It should be placed at a structural points and strengthen the shape of the object. • The decorative design should be suitable for the material and for the type of service. • There should be enough background space to give an effect of simplicity and dignity to design. • Surface pattern should cover the surface quietly. Decorative design should reinforce the basic design concept created in the construction of the garment. This is achieved when the placement of trims is created to the structural design. Decorative design is very attractive when it is created in size and structure to the textile of the garment. Suitable combination of textures includes:
- 4. 4 • Embroidery designs apply for fine fabric. • Rickrack applies for medium weight cotton dress. • Sequence for shiny fine material Elements of Design A complete knowledge on the various fundamental elements of art and design would help a person to create and design a garment on an aesthetic manner. To create beautiful garments consistently one need to follow certain guidelines in selecting and arranging design elements. In creating a design one of the components which interact is the Design Elements. The elements and principles of design are flexible and should be interpreted within the context of current fashion. The principles of design are the rates that governs how elements are combined. The elements are therefore the raw materials that must be combined successfully. The following are the different elements of Art. 1. Line 2. Form and Shape 3. Colour and 4. Texture These elements are considered as 'plastics' in art language because they can be manipulated or arranged by the designer to create a desired illusions. 1. Line: Line has different aspects including direction, thickness, sharpness of edge and length. It provides the visual dimensions of length and width. When lines combine, space is enclosed, forms
- 5. 5 and shapes are defined. Lines offered a path of vision for the eyes when wearing an outfit. Line has several functions, • To create a mood. • To define and create shape. • To indicate direction. • To lead the eye. • To establish a point of emphasis. • To create an illusion • To indicate dimension of length and width. • To enclose space. Types of lines: There are only two kinds of lines - straight lines and curved lines. Straight lines can take four directions. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal or zig zag. A curved line may be extreme, approaching a full circle or it may be very gentle or subtle almost straight. (i) Straight lines: Straight lines are in opposition to the natural curve of the body. They are rigid or crisp .Lines within a garment are created by darts, seams and decorative details. Each kind of line produces its own special effect. Straight lines and shapes denote force and strength and have a masculine quality, curved lines are the lines of nature, they are graceful and gives a feminine effect. Lines are the greatest devices of fashion designers. Since lines create illusion of height and width, they can be used to one's requirement to tone down a particular figure type. Each direction of a straight line (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, zig zag, creates an optical effect or illusion that must be judged on the individual to identify the effect in a particular garment design.
- 6. 6 The arrangement of lines in clothing design can cause to appear taller, shorter, heavier or thinner than what actually is and how line is used creates a mood in a garment. Line and the optical effect that they create, can make hips look small or large, shoulders look broad or narrow, and waists look thick or thin. The effects that lines produce are related to other factors such as, • The shape of the body wearing the design. • The colour of the fabric. • The degree of contrast that enable the lines to be noticed. • The comparison of adjacent shapes or spaces formed by lines. • The fabric drape, hand, weave, print and texture. The effect that the viewer has been pre conditioned to expect. (ii) Vertical lines: These produce an illusion of added height to the outfit design by adding and contrasting coloured vertical band in the centre or a center panel shown in Fig. (a) added with vertical line gives an added height to the outfit. These lines tend to make a short person looks tall. Eg. Fig (b) princess style dress also has the same effect. When a vertical line is emphasized in garment design, the eye of the observer measures the length of that area. Noticeable vertical lines that divide skirt / pant and bodice / skirt areas can reduce the apparent visual width of these spaces. To illustrate a plain skirt, undivided by visible seaming, usually appears broader than a skirt with one or more vertical seams in the front and back sections. the angle and spacing of two or more visible vertical seams in the same garment will vary the effect of slimness and length. (iii). Horizontal lines: These lines add width to the garment and decrease the apparent height, for eg. A wide contrast coloured belt shortens the height of the figure by cutting the garment into two segments, however the belt has the effect of slimming the waist
- 7. 7 line, the self coloured will not shorten the height of the outfit as well as the wearer. Fig (c) shows a deisgn with horizontal lines dominating. Diagonal lines: These lines add or decrease the height of the wearer depending on their slope. Long uninterrupted diagonals view almost vertically are the most lengthening and most dramatic of all lines Fig (d). Diagonal lines should be combined with vertical or horizontal lines. If they are used alone for the entire dress the effect will be disturbing Curved lines: These lines are more romantic by nature and are considered graceful and feminine, those in a diagonal direction are the most graceful and can be seen in the soft folds of material in a draped dress or a ruffled collar. Curved lines generally follow the contour of the body. When the curved line becomes exaggerated towards a full circle, it becomes very active and may easily be overdone. A restrained curve is graceful, flowing and gentle. Just as straight lines can conform to the body contour through fabric textures so do curved lines - with the effect of being extremely curvy. Curved lines can add weight to a thin person or even an angular person. (vi) Zigzag lines: A zigzag is a series of connected diagonal lines. A zigzag forces the eye to shift direction abruptly and repeatedly in an erratic and jerky movement. This type of line is found most often in fabric design. Because of the eye activity caused by zigzag lines, they tend to increase the apparent mass or size of the area covered by them.
- 8. 8 A Visual summary of the illusions created by straight line combinations is found in Fig (1 - 5 ). Fig. 1: Vertical line appears to lengthen, appears slimming as the eye moves up and down. Fig. 2: Horizontal line appears to shorten, appears to widen as the eye travels across. Fig. 3: Diagonal line appears to shorten and widen as the slant is closer to a horizontal. Fig. 4: Diagonal line appears to lengthen as the slant is closer to a vertical. Fig. 5: Extended diagonal lines appears to lengthen as the eye continues to move upward. b) Line movements: The arrangements of vertical, horizontal and oblique lines produce line movements characterized by opposition,
- 9. 9 transition or radiations opposition; In a design where the vertical line is opposed by a horizontal lines opposing oblique lines are used. Fig (e) shows a design in which the vertical line BBI is opposed by the horizontal line AB. In the design shown in Fig (f) opposing oblique lines are used. (i) Transition: When one line direction slips smoothly into another, the movement is transitional . eg. Curved lines. Curved lines should not be over done. They are at their best when stiffened by same straight lines, eg: round yoke with vertical pin tucks within it as shown in Fig. (g) (ii)Radiation: Fig. (h) shows a design is created with radiating lines at the neckline, it will attract attention to the face. These radiating lines are produced by stitching decorative darts on the right side of the garment. 2. Form and Shape Form:It is an object having three dimensions like length, width and depth. The human form changes visually with clothing, especially as fashion changes. Shape: It describes the outer dimensions of an object. Through clothing design, the shape of the human body is often revealed in a natural way, but sometimes even distorted. The shape of clothing on a human body, communicates silently, the messages about the wearer.
- 10. 10 The shape of the body plus the lines of garment create an overall form that defines the garment silhouette. Often the silhouette gives the first impression because it is seen from a distance and because it is contrasted to a background. The silhouetted form of the clothes next to body reveals the shapes of various parts of the body line, and the garment, such as sleeves, shirt or pants. Every fashion period, a shape emerges slowly or evolved suddenly, what ever it is, every period has a specific shape of garment which once determined can be modified and be styled for variation in design without changing the basic shape of the garment, it is either flare or tight, circular or straight, a line or raglan. It is therefore advisable that the designer chooses an easy silhouette to keep on creating for a longer duration. Shape and form are the terms that are used inter-changeably with some differences. The term 'form' is generally considered to apply to two-dimensional areas or shapes as well as to three- dimensional volumes or masses as 'shape'. When lines are joined to enclose space, they result in an outline, a contour, or shape. When a two dimensional shape acquires a third dimension, it becomes a form. There are three separate and distinct types of geometric shapes. • Rectilinear - Square or rectangle • Angular - Triangle or pyramid • Curvilinear - Circle, sphere, cone, cylinder
- 11. 11 In their most regular form, curvilinear shapes are circular while rectilinear shapes include the series of polygons which can be inscribed within a circle. In all these, the most significant geometric shapes include the circle, triangle, and square. Extended into the third dimension, these primary shapes generate the sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid and the cube. b) Pattern : Pattern refers to any sort of extrinsic surface enrichment. It is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional ornament arranged in a motif form. Because patterns can be created by textures and forms and is found in the shape of individual items. Pattern has movement and should be arranged so that it will flow with the rhythm of the object it adorns.pattern can coordinate the entire decorating theme. Pattern creates an illusion of depth and adds character and to garment. A pattern is an overall design. A 'motif' is an individual unit of pattern. Fabric design is often created when motifs are repeated in a manner to create an overall pattern. These may be considered formal - showing a regular or methodical repetition of the motif, or informal - having irregular placement of motifs. While choosing a patterned fabric, design of the fabric and colour are enormously important. While buying a fabric that is to be pleated / gathered as draperies / curtains, check how the pattern will look pulled together in their way. Some subtle designs come to life when used in a pleated or gathered form, while other patterns lose their impact. Space is generally considered to be the area seen between the shapes. But space in clothing becomes distractive and fatiguing to
- 12. 12 view where an interesting space may go unnoticed or appear monotonous. Both repetition and extreme contrast of a line, shape, space or form produce emphasis. 3. Colour: Colour is an important art element which no one can ignore. Appreciation of colour is largely an emotional process, is felt by nearly everyone, where as appreciation of other art elements such as line, form, texture etc, a large intellectual process is not so common. Colour is a source of universal pleasure and is used by everyone to delight them and also to fortify their living environment by its stimulating effect. Since the world is filled with colours ranging from dull, grayish tones to more vivid, brillant hues, its seems difficult for us to learn to recognize the names accurately and identify colours accurately. The dimensions of colour are hue, value and intensity. By using these terms the dimensions of colour can be more effectively communicated. Hue is the name of a colour family such as red, blue or green. The term hue is often enormously used interchangeably with the word colour. While choosing a colour one must be atmost careful as colour creates the first impression and hence can glorify or destroy once appearance. Even a simple silhouette may be enhanced by using effective colour schemes. As texture is the feel, drape and degree of stiffness and softness of the fabric, it also creates a visual effect upon the wearer, given a small swatch of fabric, the designer can visualize the texture and the feel of the fabric which helps him to design further. (i) Warm and cool hues: Hue may be described as warm or cool. warm hues are those seen in fire. They are red, yellow and orange,
- 13. 13 cool hues are those found in water and sky, they are green, blue and violet. The warmth or coolness of a hue carries with it an illusion of visual height. The warm hues yellow, orange and red are known as advancing hues because they create an illusion of moving forward. Warm hues make objects, shapes or areas appear larger, more important and closer than other colors. Warm hues emphasize the body size and contours. cool hues make objects, shapes or areas appear smaller less important and further away than other colors. cool colors minimize body size and shape. Value describes the lightness or darkness of a color. To change the value of a color white or black must be added, which makes the color lighter or darker. (ii) Value related to Body size and form : Applying value in clothing selection is most important. Exiting and dramatic effects and clever body camouflaging can be crated by the use of value in clothing selection. The extremes of value, very light or very dark or very low values will out line or silhouette the objects, shapes or areas and make the body contours standout white is the lightest value, black is the darkest value white and black garments are generally strong contrasts to their back ground, especially during day light hours. Because night lighting is low in value compared to day light, darker - value clothing worn in the evening usually blends in to the background. The effect of the value of the color against a background is important for those who do not wish to reveal their body conformation.
- 14. 14 Chroma or Intensity: Chroma describe the purity of a color and is expressed as the strength or weakness, the brightness or dullness, or the degree of saturation of a color - chroma and intensity are often interchangeable but, because chroma is the more accurate term, it appears more frequently in color literature. High chroma colors are pure, strong, brilliant saturated colours. Low chroma colors are muted, weak, grayed and dull. Bright, strong, high- chroma colors are conspicuous and make the body appear larger. Dull, weak low-chroma colors are less conspicuous and make the body appear smaller. 4. Texture: Texture is the element of design that describes surface appearance and feel. Textures are compared to other textures with which they are combined and to the person wearing them. Some adjectives used to describe textures are smooth, heavy, thin, crisp, glossy and rough. An understanding of the dynamics of texture helps individual consumers and fashion professionals make better decisions as they select apparel products and items of personal adornment. (i) Texture as a sensory impression : Textile qualities refer to coarseness, softness or rigidity as recognized by touch. Texture refers to the surface qualities of things. The visual aspect of texture is perceived by the eye because of the degree of light absorption and reflection on the surface of the material. Texture is fully comprehended by touch, but it is not always necessary to feel an object to understand its textile qualities. Lustrous textures are seen in satins and dull textures in fuzzy wools. Textures has the definite dimensions of weight, size, bulk and shape. These physical dimensions are also visually perceived.
- 15. 15 Each fabric has textural characteristics that can be described by feeling, seeing or feeling and seeing. Feel - Soft - Crisp, smooth - rough See - Shiny - dull, opaque - transparent Feel and see - thick - thin, clingy - rigid Effect of Texture on physical proportion : Textures have the physical properties of weight, size, bulk, shape, light absorption and reflection. Textures can produce illusion that change apparent body size, can make one look heavier or thinner. Fashion professionals and consumers must consider the dynamics of fabric texture, the design of the apparel item or accessory, and the physical, psychological and social characteristics of the individual in choosing fabric textures. The Principles of Fashion Design: The Principles are concepts used to organize or arrange the structural elements of design. Principles are guidelines and fundamental ideas that every designer in the working field should follow. In fashion design, there are five important principles and then apply to both the garments basic structure and that application. They provide guidelines to combine properly the five elements of design to create always different elegance in designs. The five basic principles of fashion design are as follows- 1. Balance 2. Proportion 3. Emphasis 4. Rhythm 5. Harmony 1. Balance: Balance is the concept of visual equilibrium and relates to our physical sense of balance. It is a reconciliation of opposing forces
- 16. 16 in a composition that results in visual stability. Balance relates to the overall stability in the dress with the satisfactory arrangement of parts and details. Well, balanced dress produces visual harmony. The balanced design of the fashion is also divided into two ways. Such as- I. Symmetric Balance II. Asymmetric Balance Symmetrical Balance: • It is also known as formal balance. Formal balance occurs when an object appears equal by repetition in an arrangement of elements of design. • Symmetrical balance applications of balance, for example, a straight hemline are the norm, but asymmetrical balance can be effective too. • In the past several years, asymmetrical necklines have achieved popularity. Asymmetrical Balance: • Asymmetrical balances called as informal balance. Informal balance occurs when an object appears unequal by repetition in an arrangement of elements of design. • Asymmetrical balance is more complex and trickier to achieve than symmetrical balance. • For example, a one-shoulder gown might look interesting with its asymmetrical neckline, but a jacket with one lapel larger than the other would just look bad.
- 17. 17 2. Proportion: Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts (sizes, amounts, or number) relate well with each other. When drawing the human figure, the proportion can refer to the size of the head compared to the rest of the body. The proportion in art is the comparative harmonious relationship between two or more elements in a composition with respect to size, color, quantity. Proportion is usually not even noticed until something is out of proportion. When the relative size of two elements being compared seems wrong, or out of balance, it is said to be “out of proportion”. For example, if a person has a head larger than their entire body, then we would say that they were out of proportion. A good proportion is often determined by a rule called “Golden Mean” which was developed by Greek mathematicians. 3. Emphasis or Centre of Attraction: Emphasis is the concentrations of interest in the selected area of design. Usually, designers will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc. Common facts of emphasis are such as- ▪ Emphasis using value (light and dark). ▪ Emphasis using complementary colors and atmospheric perspective. ▪ Examples of emphasis, and subordination in the artwork. ▪ Emphasis using color. 4. Rhythm: Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm
- 18. 18 creates a mood like music or dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and active, variety is essential. Repetition can be a great tool for leading the eye across a design, but without variation, it can quickly become monotonous to look at. Consider how fast you want people to be exposed to your content. The more repetition you use, the quicker your audience’s brain will register your design, but the quicker it will get bored! Try using some slight variations within your repetition to keep interest. 6. Harmony or Unity: It is also called as UNITY of design. A good balance between unity and variety must be established to avoid a chaotic or a lifeless design. Unity is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which creates a sense of completeness. Unity is a difficult principle to define. Unity ensures the goal for the overall look.