Design Series: Unity/Harmony

Look for Sandy‘s podcast, which was posted on 1/12/2012. This post is a companion to the podcast and we discuss many examples and I provide a lot of explanations about the information below.

The Design Definition we are using in this series is:  Design is a problem solving activity within all the arts, placing or creating subject matter so it is of visual significance and interesting to the artist. (from The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed)

Unity/Harmony are Principles of Design. Unity and Harmony are often combined as one principle. Harmony is used here as another word for Unity.

Definition:

  1. the presentation of an integrated image (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.20)
  2. a design in which “congruity or agreement exists among the elements in a design; they look as though they belong together” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.20)
  3. some visual connection beyond mere chance has caused elements to come together. (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.20)

According to Adventures in Design by Joen Wolfrom, “the backbone of any design is unity,” because it provides stability and control in a design as well as visual comfort. It also clarifies the design (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.97)

“The strength of the composition is that the parts are not there by chance, but that they appear to belong together… The parts don’t have to be the same or have to touch each other; rather, they must make sense together.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.13)

Creating Unity (aka Unity with Variety  (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.19) )

Unity cannot exist without other closely related elements and principles (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.97), which means that this is probably the principle where we will discuss the most other elements and principles.

“Unity of design is achieved by the arrangement of the lines, shapes, colors, values textures and patterns that are used.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.13)

Methods of creating Unity are below:

  • The Grid
    • a checkerboard pattern using only black and white fabrics has complete unity. There is a “constant repetition of shape and obvious continuation of lined-up edges.” This design, however, can be a bit boring. (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.34)
    • Many, many quilts have an underlying checkerboard pattern (blocks)
    • a checkerboard pattern using black, white and two kinds of grey adds in some variety to the basic checkerboard theme
    • a checkerboard pattern using black, white and two kinds of grey where rectangles are added to,” OR replace some of, “the squares creates even more variety while still using a basic grid. There is an “obvious, underlying feeling of unity, yet variations enliven the pattern.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.34)
    • “shapes may repeat, but perhaps in different sizes; colors may repeat, but perhaps in different values.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.34)
  • Unity through Repetition
    • “Repetition is another way to create unity in a quilt design. The repetition of an element in a composition can tie the whole together, creating a relationship among the elements.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.15)
      • “…repetition of an element creates visual rhythm.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.15) Static rhythm, alternating rhythm and progressive rhythm have an effect on unity through repetition, but we will cover that when we cover the Principle of Rhythm.
      • Examples:
        • http://www.flickr.com/photos/68806166@N05/6632122205/
        • http://www.flickr.com/photos/baileygirl5/5179971933/
        • http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericacrafts/4542434534/
        • http://www.flickr.com/photos/14922562@N05/6153186561/
        • http://www.flickr.com/photos/redpepperquilts/3361801067/
        • http://www.flickr.com/photos/goingsewcrazy/5102965576/ (also shows pattern interruption)
        • http://www.flickr.com/photos/daarrr/6609341817/
  • Varied Repetition
    • Variety is achieved by  position (straight set or on point), size and difference in proportion (e.g. all star blocks, but not the same size star blocks) of the features. (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.36)
    • “Variation or contrast with unity creates a stronger design than unity alone.” (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.99)
    • “Variety creates increased interest in a design.” (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.99)
    • porch posts or stair rails are another example. Certain standard measurements repeat while a variety of carving vary the sections of each column. (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.36)
    • “Repetition in design is simply repeating one or more elements. Every element does not need to be repeated. If too many elements are repeated, predictability, visual monotony, and disinterest can result.” (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.97)
    • “When elements of a design have a similar shape, we automatically create a visual relationship among them.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.14)
    • “Variation is added through the shifting of motif shapes;” “our eyes are most interested in the place where the pattern is interrupted.” (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.99)
      • Example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goingsewcrazy/5102965576/
  • Emphasis on Unity
    • “To say a design must contain both the ordered quality of unity and the lively quality of variety does not limit or inhibit the artist. The principle can encompass a wide variety of extremely different visual images and can even be contradicted for expressive purposes.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.38)
    • Subtle repetition can enhance the unity of composition. By using subtle repetition, the artist draws the viewer in to look more carefully for differences. (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.38)
      • consider identical twins. When looking at a photo of identical twins, the eye seeks out the differences. The same can be said for a one block quilt. If the quiltmaker chooses subtle variations in color, the viewer will seek out the differences even if the block is the same.
    • “Unity without variety can evoke our worst feelings about assembly lines and institutions.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.38)
  • Emphasis on Variety (difficult to explain in words, because it is easier to see a visual example!)
    • Star quilt where none of the star patterns are the same.
    • Quilt where none of the blocks are the same, but the colors unify the piece
  • Chaos & Control
    • “without some aspect of unity, an image or design becomes chaotic and quickly ‘unreadable’. (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.42)
    • design can also become lifeless or dull (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.42)
    • “neither utter confusion nor utter regularity are satisfying” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.42)
    • housing subdivisions often start out boringly the same, but as years pass elements of personal variations crop up (landscaping, paint color, fence style, etc) (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.42)
  • Bridging
    • Bridging is used to gently move the eye from one extreme to another. (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.103)
    • considered a ‘principle’ by Joen Wolfrom, but is more of an element under unity for our purposes.
      • Color is often used for bridging. (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.103) Color gradation often shows up in quilts (consider my Fabric of the Year series).  Moving from light to dark can add great drama to a design. (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.103)
      • Size gradation is also compelling. Moving across your quilt from a large shape to a small shape can create variety and interest. (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.104). It kinds of looks like this series of rectangles
      • A quiltmaker can also change the configuration of shapes such as going from a vertical thin rectangle through a square to a thin, horizontal rectangle. (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.105)
  • Unity through Proximity
    • “One of the easiest ways to tie elements of a design together is to place them close to each other.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.13)
    • “Make sure the objects in your design are close enough that they have a visual bond – a visual relationship. Objects need to be in close proximity for unity” (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.105)
    • Different shapes can be placed in such a way that they have no unity, but shapes can also be placed in such a way that suggests a meaning. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.14)
    • Tidal Flat by Inge Mardal and Steen Hougs uses proximity well.
    • Bagpipes by Judy Simmons
    • “Our eyes also organize the empty spaces in a design. The foreground or positive shapes are surrounded by the background, also called negative space.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.15)
      • “…the artist has to be aware that the shapes in the foreground create shapes in the background that can confuse the viewer, or dominate the positive shapes. Traditional pieced quilts often use this principle to add complexity to a design.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.15)
  • Movement
    • Repeating an object’s shape across the design creates movement when the repetition gives the eye the opportunity to move across the design. (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.106)
  • Unity  through Continuation
    • “…the arrangement of various elements in the composition so that their edges create a visual line. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.18)
    • “Quilts often employ a grid as an underlying structure that gives the blocks unity through the principle of continuation.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.18)

Achieving Unity

  • “One way to tie the foreground and background together is to repeat a color in both the positive and negative spaces.”  (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.20)
    • This means that perhaps you have a batik with gold running through the predominantly black fabric. By appliqueing gold leaves to the background fabric, you have moved in the direction of creating unity. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.20)
    • If your quilt has large yellow areas, you can quilt with yellow Perl cotton to help achieve unity. In this example, there must be contrast as well.  (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.20)
  • The balance of positive and negative space can also work to your advantage in creating unity. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed, pg.21-22)

 Un-unified or Un-harmonious Designs

  • the whole design or the group elements appear separate or unrelated.
  • A viewer will ignore a chaotic design (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.24)
  • “lack of unity is one of the major reasons a design is unsuccessful. Too much variety creates visual chaos. If not repetition exists, there is nothing to hold the design together.” (Wolfrom, Adventures in Design, pg.98)
    • this quote brings orphan block quilts to mind. These are difficult quilts to design, because of the variety included. The artist must create something to hold the group together such as unified sashing, a color that flows throughout the piece, etc.

 Notes:

  • “in the application of any art principle, wide flexibility is possible within the general framework of the guideline” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.38)
  • “To say a design must contain both the ordered quality of unity and the lively quality of variety does not limit or inhibit the artist. The principle can encompass a wide variety of extremely different visual images and can even be contradicted for expressive purposes.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.38)
Stars for San Bruno #1
Stars for San Bruno #1

A kind of Star Sampler is my Stars for San Bruno #1 quilt.

Unity/Harmony Resources:

Art Institute of Chicago’s Art Explorer (the Millinery Shop): http://www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?tab=1&resource=14572
Design Basics, 5th ed. by David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak, pg. 19-43
NPR blog post on Unity: http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2011/09/07/140211660/what-is-unity?sc=fb&cc=fp
Setting Solutions by Sharyn Craig

You can see the last Design class, which was on Balance on the November 29 post.

Design Series: Balance

This post is a companion to the Quilting…for the Rest of Us podcast episode on Balance.

As a reminder, the general design definition that we are using is:  Design is a problem solving activity within all the arts, placing or creating subject matter so it is of visual significance and interesting to the artist. (from The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d ed)

Balance is a Principle of Design.

Definition of balance:

  1. Balance is used to describe the distribution of visual weight in a design. Visual weight refers to the parts of the design that appear larger, that appear to come forward, or that appear to have more importance. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 4)
  2. Balance is concerned with the distribution of visual interest — what is placed where in a composition. (http://daphne.palomar.edu/design/bsymm.html)
  3. Balance refers to the ways in which the elements (lines, shapes, colors, textures, etc.) of a piece are arranged. (http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/b_balance.htm)
  4. Balance is an art and design principle concerned with the arrangement of one or more elements in a work of art so that they appear symmetrical (even) or asymmetrical (uneven) in design and proportion. (http://www.artincanada.com/arttalk/arttermsanddefinitions.html)

You can affect balance by using some elements of design including size, placement, color and texture. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 4)

There are four main types of balance:

  • symmetrical: This is also called formal balance (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 4). Ruth McDowell explains, in her Symmetry book, that there are 17 types of symmetry. The most common types of symmetry used in quiltmaking are noted with an asterisk. They are:
    • mirror *
    • two mirrors
    • four mirrors
    • six mirrors
    • mirrored kites
    • mirrored triangles
    • rotational *
      • 60 degrees
      • 90 degrees
      • 120 degrees
      • 180 degrees
    • translational *
    • glide *
    • two glides
    • staggered pairs
    • staggered fours
    • glides and mirrors
    • pinwheels and mirrors
  • radial 
  • crystallographic
  • asymmetrical 
Finished LeMoyne Star
Finished LeMoyne Star

Symmetrical Balance:

  • “Symmetrical balance, or symmetry, is the regular arrangement of similar parts in a predictable pattern. Ruth McDowell, in her book Symmetry, explains that there are seventeen different kinds of symmetry based on the scientific study of crystallography.” (Fearless Design, pg.17).
  • “Symmetrical balance repeats similar shapes, colors, values, lines , or other elements on both halves of the composition.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 5); “One side, in effect, becomes a mirror image of the other” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.80)
    • LeMoyne Star
    • Eva’s Delight
    • Double 4 Patch
    • Nine Patch  (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 5)
    • Irish chain (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 5)
    • Log Cabin (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 5)
    • Jacob’s Ladder (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 5)
    • Drunkard’s Path (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 5)

“The formality of a grid can be used to lend some organization to a complex or busy image.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 5)

“The formal quality in symmetry imparts an immediate feeling of permanence, strength, and stability. Such qualities are are important in public buildings to suggest the dignity and power of a government.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.80)

“Symmetrical balance does not, by itself, preordain any specific visual result” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.81). You have to choose the elements that you put into a symmetrically balanced design.

Radial Balance

  • “Radial balance is based on elements radiating from a central point.” ” Radial balance is based on divisions of a circle. To achieve radial balance, it is best to use five or more divisions. Using 4 divisions would be the same as rotational symmetry.” (Fearless Design, pg.18)
    • Dresden Plate
    • Winding ways
    • Mariner’s Compass
    • Medallion quilts radiate out from a large center motif to create overall radial balance. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 6)
      • the sun with its emanating rays (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.94)
      • flowers (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.94)
      • round form of domed building (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.94)
      • tibetan mandalas (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.94)
  • Also called circular balance. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 6)

Radial balance is sometimes considered a refinement of symmetrical or asymmetrical balance “depending on whether the focus occurs in the middle or off center.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.94)

The advantage of a radial design “is the clear emphasis on the center and the unity that this form of design suggests.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.94)

Crystallographic Balance

  • Crystallographic balance is a field of pattern scattered all over the surface. Essentially it is balance without a focal point. It is balanced, because it is the same all over.” (Fearless Design, pg.18)
    • scattered designs on fabric (calicos?)
    • allover fabric designs, such as dots or small flowers, are often companion prints to a fabric with a large focal point motif, such as prints by Philip Jacobs. These types of fabrics are used for resting places when the whole line is used together. The allover print is usually a crystallographic balanced design.
      • Tumbling Blocks
    • Crystallographic balance, or “allover patterns without a focal point” are balanced because they have “equal emphasis over a whole composition” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 6) or equal emphasis over the whole composition. Pentak & Lauer describe this as “the same weight or eye attraction literally everywhere” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.96)

Crystallographic balance is also considered a “refinement of symmetrical balance,” but it is “truly a different impression from our usual concept of symmetrical balance.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg.96)

“Many quilts use crystallographic balance in a grid. The block setting traditionally used for quilts lends itself to overall design balance.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 7)

Beach Town Front
Beach Town Front

Asymmetrical Balance

  • “…parts of the composition are not the same, but are balanced in placement and visual weight. Think of a teeter-totter. Two people of equal weight in the same position on each end represent symmetrical balance. Two people of unequal weight” means that the heavier person is closer to the fulcrum or balance point, which “can also balance the teeter-totter. Asymmetrical balance is equal, but not the same. (Fearless Design, pg.18)
    • Example: if you have a dark green element towards the bottom right hand corner of your quilt, you will need to put smaller elements, that together achieve a similar weight to the larger item towards the upper left hand corner.
    • “…balance is achieved with dissimilar objects that have equal visual weight or equal eye attraction.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.84)
      • “…dissimilar objects are equally pleasing too the eye.” (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.86)
      • This is also called informal balance, because it uses dissimilar shapes with unequal visual weight to create balance and attract the eye. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 6)

Asymmetrical balance is the big unknown. This type of balance is where it is important to know about the elements of design so that you can use them to adjust the visual weight of your design. (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 9)

  • “A complex shape, even though smaller, has a stronger attraction too the eye of the viewer….Complexity of shape…can balance a much larger simple shape of the same value and color.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 9)
  • “A sharp contrast in color can give a small object more significance in a large space.” (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 9)

“Asymmetry appears casual and less planned…,” but it is actually more intricate and complicated to use than symmetrical balance, because attempting to balance dissimilar items involves more complex considerations and more subtle factors. (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.85). The quilt we talked about in this segment is called Fishermen’s Widows by Anna Faustino, 2008. It is pictured on pg.114 of Adventures in Design.

  • Consider a star sampler quilt. You have asked your friends to make you star blocks in solid fabrics with a black background. They can make the star any size and any pattern. When you get the blocks back, they are all perfectly pieced, but different sizes and colors of solid fabric. You will have to arrange them in a pleasing way. What you are doing what you are doing when you arrange these star blocks is asymmetrical balance.

Structure
Structure is a helper concept to balance. You choose a structure to use within balance. There are four different major types of structure:

  • Focus Structure
  • Circular Structure
  • Triangular Structure
  • L Structure

Focus structure has to do with placing elements of a design in such a way that the eye of the viewer focuses on it. You create focus by establishing the difference between the featured shape and its setting. (Adventures in Design, pg.117)

  • “The rule of thirds is an easy way to find a focus range. divide your design into thirds horizontally and vertically. Four intersecting points will appear. Place your featured focus in the vicinity of the most appropriate intersecting point.” (Adventures in Design, pg. 117)

Circular structure uses a circular design “skeleton to move the eyes around the design in a clockwise manner.” (Adventures in Design, pg.118)

  • An example of circular structure is Denise Tallon Havlan’s quilt Unbridled Passion, 2006

The basis of your design, in a triangular structure is a triangle (Adventures in Design, pg.119)

  • An example of triangular structure is Melinda Bula’s quilt, Yellow Daisies. (Adventures in Design, pg.119)

In an L structure “the major design focus should be along one of the arms of the L.” The best placement in this kind of structure is to place the major focus close to the intersecting point of the L.” (Adventures in Design, pg.119)

  • An example of a quilt made using the L structure is Tidal Flat by Inge Mardal and Steen Hougs (Adventures in Design, pg.104)

There is also horizontal and vertical structure, which is also called horizontal and vertical balance.

Horizontal and Vertical structure (or balance) (The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d, pg. 4)

  • Horizontal balance is everything on either side of an imaginary line (center vertical axis) down the middle of your design from top to bottom. This might seem hard to understand, but think of a book. You read from left to write when you read English. The words on the pages on either side of the spine (acting as the center vertical axis) are horizontally balanced. This type of  balance is what we unconsciously assume when we look at a piece, because it is very common.
    • a person’s face
    • book
  • Vertical balance is the visual weight above and below an imaginary line drawn from right to left across the center of  the design. You are looking from top to bottom.
    • Because of gravity, we are used to seeing more weight at the bottom of a design (think of a mountain: the bottom is heavier than the top) (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed. pg.78)
    • Example: horizon line

Unbalanced Designs

  • leave viewer with a vague sense of unease (Pentak & Lauer, 5th ed., pg. 77)

Notes

It is interesting how almost anything can inspire us to create a new design. Ruth McDowell was inspired to look into symmetry further when she was gallery sitting and ended up talking with a professor from a local Boston college who demanded to know why the designs only used 4 of the 17 types of Symmetry. (Symmetry, pg.8)

Crystallography is the science of the forms and structures of crystals (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crystallography)

Homework

Exercise #1:

Supplies:

  • 20-30 disparate items
  • large piece of paper or table on which to arrange your items
  • camera (if you have one)

A note on your items: go to your junk drawer or your Extra Everything closet or just walk around the house and grab things of all different sizes, shapes, colors, thicknesses and weights. Make sure you have a piece of crumpled junk mail. You can include a marble, a ball, a spoon, a whisk, a statute, a postcard, a remote control. The items should be easy for you to handle (don’t try and move your TV!)

Take your items (a variety of sizes shapes and colors) and arrange them on the piece of paper or table or other clear space. Try to arrange them in pleasing way.

If you have a camera, take a photo and look at the photo.

Exercise #2:

Using the same items from above (see supply list and notes above) and pretend your items are quilt blocks.

Rearrange your items and answer the questions below:

  • are you looking at the items differently?
  • did you remove any items?add any items?
  • tell us some of your thoughts while you were rearranging your items (you can leave out the part about how stupid I am and what a dumb exercise this is)

Take a photo and share it in Sandy’s Flickr group or on your blog. If you post a photo on your blog, put a link to your blog in the comments section below.

Balance Resources

Design Basics, 5th ed. by David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak, pg. 75-97
Elementary Crystallography: An Introduction to the Fundamental Geometric Features of Crystals by Martin Julian Buerger (1978)
Fearless Design by Lorraine Torrence, pg.17-23
The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d by Ann Johnston, pg.4-11
Pattern on Pattern by Ruth McDowell
Symmetry by Ruth McDowell

Thank you!

Design Class: Line

Sandy and I got busy on the second class in the design series. See her blog for more information. See her supplemental post for even further information.

During my research travels into Line this past week, I found a great definition for design in Ann Johnston’s The Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d. This is an adjunct to the definitions we gave you in the last podcast. It is: Design is a problem solving activity within all the arts, placing or creating subject matter so it is of visual significance and interesting to the artist.

Line is an Element of Design.

Double 4 Patch
Double 4 Patch
Irish Chain
Irish Chain

Definition: Line is a mark on the surface that describes a shape or outline. A line is a mark made by a moving point and having psychological impact according to its direction, weight, and the variations in its direction and weight. Lines in quilt blocks can draw the eye around the quilt. For example, a Double Four Patch set in diagonal lines will draw the eye from top to bottom diagonally. An Irish Chain quilt setting can frame plain blocks filled with quilting or applique’ blocks.

Irish Chain Frame
Irish Chain Frame
Double 4 Patch- with Lines
Double 4 Patch- with Lines

Line is a mark on the surface that describes a shape or outline. Types of lines can include actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines. The line quality makes the work more expressive. Lines act as a connector or boundary between shapes. They divide, but also connect. Lines may be:

  • thick or thin (Perl cotton v. Aurifil)
  • fast
  • slow
  • serene
  • agitated
  • jagged
  • lyrical
  • aggressive.

Line brings energy to the design. (Liz Berg handout)

  • lines in quilts are generally seam lines or quilting lines.
    • hand quilting
    • machine quilting
  • Pressing also creates a line.
    • When you press to one side, you have 3 layers of fabric bulking up the seam. This can be used to highlight areas (see Ruth McDowell’s Piecing Beyond the Basics book)
  • lines on quilts can also be embroidery (hand or machine)
    • sashiko
    • redwork ( and similar)
    • couching
  • sashing creates lines
  • overall top design can include strong lines

Questions/Things to consider:

  • how a design uses line
  • secondary designs created by the way line is used in a block, leading the eye through a design, that kind of thing.
  • Line has dimension
    • Perl cotton has more dimension than Aurifil thread
  • Lines have width and length
  • Lines are directional: horizontal, curved, vertical, diagonal, zig zaggy, straight, parallel and so on.

 

Quilt Blocks and Quilt Designs with Strong Lines

Homework:

Exercise #1

You will need:

  • piece of blank paper (can be the back of junk mail)
  • catalog or magazine pictures you are willing to cut up
  • paper scissors
  • drawing or writing implement  (You can use anything, but one with a smooth line is great!)
  • glue stick
  1.  Find a picture in your magazine or catalog and cut a 3×3″ square out of it.
  2. Take a piece of blank paper and lay it on the table in front of you
  3. Glue the 3×3″ square somewhere towards the middle on the paper. There should be at least 2″ of white space around each side of the magazine picture.
  4. Turn the paper upside down so the image is upside down.
  5. Continue the image out from each side of the paper using your pen
  6. “Simplify the design in the square and its drawn continuation.” Use the cut off edges to make a new design.
  7. Perform this exercise over and over on different pieces of paper with different pictures until you are happy with the result.
  8. Use the simplified design as a starting point for a quilt.

(adapted from Fearless Design for Every Quilter by Lorraine Torrence, pg. 63)

 

Exercise #2
You can do exercise #2 with free motion quilting as well using a 3×3″ square of fabric on top of a small (11×11″ or so) quilt sandwich.

Supplies you will need:

  • a charm pack OR
  • a group of approximately 50 3-5″ paper squares of all colors and designs (junkmail works well, you could use a scrapbooking paper punch if you have that) OR
  • cut a group of 3-5″ squares of fabric (approximately 50)
  • notebook or paper (reusing junk mail is just fine)
  • pen or other writing implement

Directions:

  1. Put all the squares on the floor or on a table right next to each other. Do not arrange them yet.
  2. Look at them and see if you see any dominate lines. Make a note of how the lines show up (because of the color? because of the design on the fabric or paper? Other?)
  3. If you have a camera, take a photo.
  4. Rearrange the squares in some kind of order.
  5. Look at them and see if you see any dominate lines. Make a note of how the lines show up (because of the color? because of the design on the fabric or paper? Other?)
  6. If you have a camera, take a photo.
  7. Based on what you saw in the squares of your fabric, draw simple lines in your notebook or on paper.
  8. Optional: think about and take note of design ideas that are suggested to you by the images you have created.

Exercise #3

You will need:

  • notebook or paper (junkmail is fine)
  • pen or writing implement (colors are fun)

Directions: Draw different kinds of lines:

  • zig zag
  • curved
  • broken
  • straight (ish!)
  • continuous
  • fat
  • thin

Resources:

Two of my art quilts that were discussed in the episode: What Comes Next and Kissy Fish

What Comes Next
What Comes Next

You can read more about What Comes Next in a previous post.

Kissy Fish (in progress)
Kissy Fish (in progress)

Kissy Fish is difficult to photograph, because there are a lot of parts that reflect light very well.

Design Overview

Recently, Sandy, of Quilting for the Rest of Us, and I recorded a podcast where we started to talk about design. Several months ago, she asked me if I would considering talking with her and her listeners about design. I was reluctant. I am not an expert, but Sandy is pretty good at convincing people to do stuff and I am good at research. It has taken me some time to find the time, coalesce my thoughts and to start to do the research.

The first podcast we recorded was an overview of design. We discussed the principles and elements of design. We talked about what the principles and elements are in design and some examples of how to use them. We tried to talk about why a classic quiltmaker who uses patterns and books should care about design. I’d like to know if you have examples of how you have used design.

Some of my thoughts…

Knowing about design principles and elements helps refine your innate skill. Everyone has innate design skills.

Concept: I use patterns why do I need to know about design?

  • Color is an element of design. To make beautiful quilts, you need to know about color. If you buy a kit, there may be one color you do not like and by knowing about design, you will be able to replace it successfully.
  • Balance is a principle of design. If your eye sees an element of the quilt as being unbalanced, then knowing about design will help you adjust it.

Concept: I am not an art quiltmaker, why do I need to know about design principles and elements?

  • “Some designs lack that indefinable life – or spark – that lifts them out of the mundane, the predictable, the commonplace …. learning about design elements and principles helps you train your vision and refine your subconscious decision making.” (Fearless Design for Every Quilter by Lorraine Torrence, pg.57)
  • Negative space in fabric: “When choosing prints for a patchwork, think about how they’ll look when cut up. Does that small print have so much negative (empty) space that the actual print part won’t show up on half of the pieces? Is that large print so big that the pieces cut from it will look like they’re from entirely different pieces of fabric? (Elizabeth Hartman, The Practical Guide to Patchwork, pg.24).
  • Borders: does slapping on 4 lengths of fabric work with the design you have chosen or would a bit of piecing enhance your excellent quilt top?
  • Books: when looking at books and evaluating whether you want to spend money on it, you can evaluate the various elements and principles of  design included in the patterns of the book.

Many quiltmakers, though not formally trained in art (e.g. an MFA in fine art) have intuitive art sensibilities. (Fearless Design for Every Quilter by Lorraine Torrence, pg.5)

I have been thinking about design for awhile. I never took a dedicated design class in school and have never found one that fit into my schedule since. Also, I am too lazy to leave my house again once I get home. If I did sign up I would go, so the laziness is really me thinking that I would be lazy and not go to class even before I sign up. Sigh!

I have pages and pages of notes I have taken on design elements and principles as I have tried to make the design elements and principles part of my working toolbox.

Design is a way of organizing a piece of visual work. According to the Quilter’s Book of Design, 2d by Ann Johnston, “Design is a  problem-solving activity within all the arts, placing or creating subject matter so it is of visual significance and interesting to the artist.” (pg.xi). I like this definition, because it is understandable and doable. It also isn’t scary for people who have no MFA. When I think about solving a problem with my quilt, I relax about design and try to review the skills in my design toolbox. Remember, though, that “we all have personal experiences, subjective leanings, and differences in personality that make us prefer one thing to another…” (Fearless Design for Every Quilter by Lorraine Torrence, pg.57)

Good design requires practice and is the “result of of a successful combination of design elements … and principles…”(Fearless Design for Every Quilter by Lorraine Torrence, pg.6)

Elements of Design
The elements form the ‘vocabulary‘ of the design (Wikipedia, design elements and principles).

The Elements of Design are the language of the visual arts (http://www.wiu.edu/art/courses/design/elements.htm).

The elements are components or parts which can be isolated and defined in any visual design or work of art. They are the structure of the work, and can carry a wide variety of messages (http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm).

  • Line
  • Shape
  • Value
  • Color
  • Movement
  • Size
  • Pattern

Principles of Design
The principles constitute the broader structural aspects of the design’s composition (Wikipedia, design elements and principles).

Principles (http://www.wiu.edu/art/courses/design/principles.htm).

The Principles are concepts used to organize or arrange the structural elements of design. Again, the way in which these principles are applied affects the expressive content, or the message of the work (http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/principl/principl.htm).

  • Unity
  • Harmony
  • Contrast
  • Rhythm
  • Repetition
  • Gradation
  • Balance
  • Dominance

The principles of design, according to my research, are usually taught first. I think they are also a little harder to explain to an audio audience, so I told Sandy we should start with the elements. After getting into it a bit, I am thinking that we might bounce around. Hope you tune in to find out!