PRINCIPLESOF COMPOSI¬TIONIIISYMMETRY. The most common andobvious way of satisfying the desire fororder is to place two equal lines or shapesin exact balance, as in a gable, windowseach side of a door, or objects on a shelf.The term Symmetry applies to threeandfour-part groups, or others whereeven balance is made, but here it refersmainly to a two-part arrangement.Sometimes construction produces Sym¬metry, as in the human body; ships;Greek and Rennaissance architecture;furniture; pottery ; books. Partly fromthis cause and partly through imitation.Symmetry, like Repetition, has come tobe used in cheap and mean design whereno regard is paid to beauty of form.Japanese art, when influenced by Zenphilosophy, as Okakura Kakuzo tells usin “The Book of Tea”, avoids symmetryas uninteresting. In Gothic art, the prod¬uct of richly inventive and imaginativeminds, symmetry was never used in acommonplace way.This Principle of Composition — whenunited to fine spacing, — produces, in ar¬chitecture an effect of- repose and com¬pleteness ; in design a type of severelybeautiful form, as seen in a Greek vaseor the treasures of the Sho-so-in at Narawhere so much of the older Japanese arthas been preserved.A few examples of Symmetry are givenhere ; the student will readily find others.Exercises can be easily devised, follow¬ing the steps suggested under other prin¬ciples. See opposite, and Nos. 42, 43.PROPORTION or GOOD SPACING.Principles of Composition, I must re¬peat, are only ways of arranging linesand shapes; art is not produced by themunless they are used in combination withthis general principle, — Good Spacing.They are by no means recipes for art,and their names are of little consequence.Appreciation of fineness of relations mustalways govern the method and form ofcomposition. It is possible to use all theprinciples here discussed, and to com¬plete all the exercises, without gainingmuch, if any, art experience. The mainthing is the striving for the best, themost harmonious, result that can be ob¬tained. One way to accomplish this isto compare and choose continually —making many designs under one subjectand selecting the best.The great general principle of Propor¬tion needs no special illustration or exer¬cise, because it is so intimate a part of allother principles and exercises. It maybe studied in every example of supremeart. It is the foundation of all the finestwork in line and mass. The mystery ofSpacing will be revealed to the mindthat has developed Appreciation.28
PRINCIPLESOF COMPOSI¬TIONIIIC'^v.rese pcwccr V 3ostiNo.22*V. *A.'' -1 V'c^tcr Colo** f Reb€UU#r.1 Iron Escutcheons MFA6oiior,i-29
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- Page 6 and 7: Copyright, 1899, byArthur Wesi.ey D
- Page 9 and 10: CONTENTS>PAGEBEGINNINGS .3,THE THRE
- Page 11 and 12: BEGINNINGSIN writing this book my m
- Page 13 and 14: As imperial art commissioner for th
- Page 15 and 16: THE THREE ELEMENTSI. LINE — NOTAN
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- Page 19 and 20: THE THREEELEMENTSI.—EXAM¬PLES OF
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- Page 24 and 25: LINE DRAW¬INGII.—JAPA¬NESE MATE
- Page 26: LINE DRAW¬INGII.—LINESBY MASTERS
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- Page 31 and 32: For convenience the suggestions for
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- Page 41 and 42: LINEIV. —COMPOSITION IN SQUARES A
- Page 43 and 44: of any kind; sizes, shapes and dire
- Page 45 and 46: APPLICATIONS1. Ginghams, plaids, em
- Page 47 and 48: Some experience in choice of propor
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- Page 51 and 52: the width; and still another (d) by
- Page 53 and 54: represent nature’s forms, colors
- Page 55 and 56: The art of landscape painting is a
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NOTANXIportance to the student for
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and in design, flatness is necessar
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85NOTANXVI.THREEVALUES
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NOTANXIIIWhiteScales of 5 and 7 val
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NOTANXIIIILLUSTRATIONAfter some exp
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NOTANXIIICompositions in more than
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TNOTANXIII94
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NOTANXIIIINK PAINTINGSupreme excell
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NOTANXIII.INKPAINTING98
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COLORXIV.—COLOR THEORYCOLOR, with
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COLORTHEORYXIVonly statements of re
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!5di □▼c< ► <ZikSSmt V
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More applications can be made than
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krf-■'jo9&•1 »
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COLORFROMNOTANXVsubstitute a hue fo
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COLORXVL —COLOR SCHEMES FROM JAPA
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Copying Japanese prints is recommen
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1L ^1 \ ^/%0-Li ww■;• • "'i m
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COMPOSI¬TIONXVIIened, is laid upon
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COMPOSI-TIONXVII. .PAINTINGhow to p
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I114JAN2 21J5Date DueOC.^ '6^9. 4 -