Week Seven

 Principles of Design Part 2

Rhythm

Rhythm includes repetition, progression, transition or contrast. Its purpose is to direct someone’s attention around a space and enhance the overall impression of the room. Repetition and rhythm can be applied to color, texture, shape, or pattern. It leads the eye through a room to enjoy each aspect of the design. It is also used for wayfinding in commercial design. There are 5 main types of rhythm seen in design. The first is repetition. This is a repeated object, color, shape, texture, or any design element within an interior space. It gives the viewer a feeling of stability and predictability. The second type is gradation. This is uniformly increasing or decreasing the size of objects in a room to lead a viewer through the space. 

The third type is contrast. This is when one object is used right next to another that is contrasted by color, size, or shape. This can draw the eye back and forth across a room. It gives a dynamic feeling of energy and excitement to a room. There are also specific types of contrast which include smooth vs. rough, shiny vs. dull, light vs. dark, and round vs. square. The fourth rhythm type is transition. This is the smooth movement from one space to another. The final type of rhythm is radiation. This is when several design elements are formed around a central axis.

Proportion/Scale

Proportion and scale are very similar with very slight differences. They both have to do with how objects and spaces relate to one another. Proportion focuses more on how objects fit together where as scale focuses on how they fit into a space. God proportion makes a room feel balanced and comfortable. Misusing scale is one of the most significant factors that can create a poor design. 

Emphasis

Emphasis is the purposeful development of focal points of dominant characteristics within a space. It also establishes hierarchy within a space and creates a feeling of drama, balance, and personality. Emphasis can be created through color, texture, lighting, furniture, a view, or architectural details. These focal points determine how a viewer perceives or feels about a space and can have a lasting impression. 

Contrast

Cohesiveness is important in a design scheme but if you have too much of the same, it risks everything blending together into a flat, monotonous space. Contrast adds the balance needed to bring a design concept to life. It can be achieved by placing two or more elements with opposing characteristics together in a space. It can also be accomplished by using a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, materials, textures, and styles. When used correctly, it can add a dose of visual interest to an interior while also pulling it together. It can highlight certain room features or other design elements. The details in a room are like the “icing on the cake”. They make a space feel more interesting and personal.

Sketching Interiors

In this chapter of Sketching Interiors, we got an introduction to color in sketches. Color is the ultimate expression for artists. There are many different tools you can use for color including colored pencils, markers, watercolor, ink, and more. Combining these tools can also make a sketch look more realistic. You can add colored pencil or ink on top of marker to show shadows and achieve depth in the sketch. We also learned that you can add textures like wood grains with colored pencil on top to make it look more realistic. We learned about how to twist the markers to achieve different strokes for renderings. Learning to do windows is also very important for designers. We learned that you should use light grays and colored pencils to show windows and drapery.