Harmony and balance

Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts. In art and design, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience.

Balance can be defined as the way the elements are arranged to create an equilibirium in an artwork. The three types of balance are symmetric [symmetric: When one side of a composition is reflected in the other. It can also be referred to as formal balance. ], asymmetric [asymmetric: When one side of a composition is not reflected in the other. Asymmetrical balance is created when one part of a composition differs from the other without destroying it's overall harmony. ], and radial [radial: When a composition is based on a circle extending out or towards a central point. ].

A good composition draws all the elements together to form one harmonious and balanced piece.

Click on the images below to see a bigger version. (If you have Flash, click Magnify to see the detail - to remove the viewfinder just click Magnify again.)

Alamillo Bridge by Santiago Calatrava

Copyright © Brian Coffrey

The Alamillo Bridge in Seville, Spain, Santiago Calatrava

You could annotate the photo above with the following comments:

The bridge looks sharp, white, linear, and asymmetric in design. It's made from steel and concrete.

Santiago Calatrava compared the bridge structure to a gigantic harp.

It looks simple, elegant, functional, beautiful.

Garden at Sainte-Adresse by Claude Monet

Copyright © Metropolitan Museum of Art / Bridgeman

Garden at Sainte-Adresse, 1867, Claude Monet

This image has a lot of detail and so you could easily annotate the image to make the following points.

A daring composition for 1867, two horizontal flags, either side of the two central figures.

Background, sky, bright blue, white wispy clouds on a summer’s day.

Middle ground, blue sea, boats on the horizon.

Foreground, garden, brightly coloured flowers, long shadows, late afternoon?

Monet’s cousin, Jeanne-Marguerite Lecadre, plus an unidentified gentleman.

Monet’s aunt, Madame Lecadre and father, Adolphe in the seating area.

Bold, bright colours, light and shade, strong contrast reflecting the intensity of the summer sun.

Many shades of green, complementary reds, blue, yellow and white.