Balance

Back to Glossary]

=**Balance** = //by Group #8// (Leigha, Jane, Sam and Sarah)

**Balance** is the distribution of the weight of objects, colors, texture, and space. In symmetrical balance, the elements used on one side of the design are similar to those on the other side; in asymmetrical balance, the sides are different but still look balanced. In radial balance, the elements are arranged around a central point and may be similar.

Visual Examples of Balance
 **1. David, Jacques-Louis, "//Oath of the Horatii//" 1784. Oil on canvas.** In this painting, balance exists in a visual and conceptual way. The three figures on the left are balanced out with the three figures on the right. Even though the men are standing, there is still a sense of balance. The scenery in the background also create a sense of balance. The archways and the floor tiles create visual balance even though they are not perfectly centered in the painting.

 **2. Goldsworthy, Andy, //Stacked icicles about 8 inches in length,// 1978.** Goldsworthy's nature art tends to demonstrate interesting types of balance. Since his creations are not meant to last forever, it is his photographs that we see and analyze. In this particular photograph of stacked icicles, Goldsworthy demonstrates a more traditional example of balance. He may have done this to ensure that the focus is on the icicle piece itself.



**3. Adolf (Adi) Dassler designed this current __Adidas logo__ in 1996.** The adidas logo has gone through many changes in history. This particular version is a good example of balance. The chosen font contributes to the overall look. Even though the three stripes above the word are not perfectly symmetrical, the weight and proportion of the shapes in combination with the word 'adidas' creates an overall feeling of balance.



**4. Johnny Schilleriff created the Element logo around 1992.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Schilleriff's design uses symmetry to create balance. Since the Element company has a philosophy referring to nature, it is interesting how the logo design also refers to 'nature's balance' in a visual way.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**5. rkaponm, //Rebelution poster//, 2008. Digital art.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This poster design creates a dynamic sense of balance. The angles and textures create a feeling of balance that guides viewer's eyes to important parts of the poster. The use of colour also creates balance.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">media type="youtube" key="zunHJQ1l5y0" width="425" height="350" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**6. Nando Costa, //FOTB Titles,// 2010. Macro motion picture.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this video, each scene creates an interesting sense of balance. When paused at various frames, audiences can see how the creator has planned out each shot to create different but effective examples of balance. The creator has used negative space, textures, and lighting to create compositions that are balanced and exciting.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**7. Kate Charlwood, //Contry Living: Lifestyle magazine.// Magazine layout design.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These magazine spreads show different examples of balance that work together. The designer has created some interesting compositions that are actually different for each page. They seem to work together as a complete composition because of the type of grid system that is repeated throughout. For example, thumbnail images are clustered together in a way that makes each page flow together. The text is also arranged in blocks that mirror the graphics, balancing the overall composition.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">References:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.goldsworthy.cc.gla.ac.uk/image/?id=ag_00726&t=1 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.famouslogos.org/element-logo <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.famouslogos.org/adidas-logo <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://rkaponm.deviantart.com/art/Rebelution-Concert-Poster-88229632 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.vimeo.com/15271355 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zunHJQ1l5y0 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://matesratesdesign.com/USERIMAGES/cl2nd.jpg