Mixed Media Art Good Design and Composition

Every time you are creating any art work, the following are the elements of a good design that you should put in place:

· Proportion
This deals with the size of the parts that make up the whole. Are they all proportional or are some too dominant and others to small?

· Unity/Variety
Variety is often linked with unity. While you want to have unity, you don’t want it to be boring. When a painting has unity, there is a feeling that it all works together as a whole and is complete as well as having harmony

· Contrast
This implies to the differences when you compare one thing to and you can use ways like diagonal lines against verticals, colors that jangle, lights against darks, soft edges against hard edges, intense color against neutral color etc. Differing values in a painting can be dramatic.

· Rhythm /repetition
Rhythm is created by having an element repeat itself in the painting and always it has repetition. Repeating shapes can lead the eye through a painting and give it rhythm.

· Balance
Balance is the key to a successful painting. The design must be balanced for it to work effectively. If the design is balanced then the scale of it is also in balance. When something is balanced it looks right.

· Focus/Emphasis
Every painting needs a centre of interest and without one; the painting is rendered without much thought by the artist. Having a theme or story to your painting gives your painting emphasis.

There you have it. Happy creating!