Variety / Unity

Three final principles of design are variety, harmony, and unity. Variety refers to the diversity of elements in a work of art. For example, an artist might use a variety of shapes, colors, or textures to make an artwork interesting to the viewer.

Fig 6.1. Paul Cezanne, Still Life with a Curtain.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Unity is the sense of "wholeness" of a composition. Unity is sometimes regarded as the most important of all design principles because it governs the entire work. Whereas the elements of art or the other principles of design may only be seen in a part of an artwork, the complete work contributes to its unity; all of the parts of a unified composition work together. A unified composition has a balance between harmony and variety.

There are three main techniques for creating unity in a work. The first is proximity. Proximity means putting objects close to one another. The viewer's eye moves from one object to the next when the objects are close to each other; as a result, the eye is led to take in the entire composition. Another technique for creating unity is through similarity. For example, using similar textures, colors, or shapes can bring unity to an image. Finally, unity can be created through continuation, which means that the eye follows a continuous line around the composition. The line, as discussed in module 1, can be actual or implied.

Paul Cezanne's painting, Still Life with a Curtain, creates unity through proximity; the oranges are arranged close to each other. It also creates unity by repeating similar colors and shapes. An implied diagonal line created by the border of the white cloth and the fruit against the green background also creates unity.

Header Art Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.