Elements and Principles of Design HNC3CI – Mrs. Crowell

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN All designs, from simple to complex, come from only a few basic design elements.

Design Element: Colour Colour is often the first thing we notice when we look at a piece of clothing.

Design Element: Line Designers use lines for different effects. Straight lines are used to create crisp shapes. Curved lines give a feeling of movement. ZigZag lines are used to create drama.

Design Element: Shape There are four basic shapes in fashion design: Natural – follows the outline of the body. Tubular – rectangular with vertical emphasis. Bell – both diagonal and horizontal lines. Full – use of more horizontal and curved lines.

Design Element: Texture The surface characteristics that determine the look and feel of an object. – Soft or Crisp, Smooth or Nubby, Dull or Shiny Fabric texture results from the fiber, yarn, construction and finish used. Texture determines how a fabric moves when worn.

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN Artistic guidelines for using all of the design elements. Fashion designers use these principles when designing their clothing.

Design Principle: Balance A design has balance when the spaces on both sides of the central line, real or imagined, appear equal. Balance is either: Symmetrical or Asymmetrical

Design Principle: Proportion How separate parts of a garment relate to each other (also known as scale). Parts with somewhat unequal sizes look best together. Fashion design commonly relies on a 3-to-5 ratio.

Design Principle: Emphasis The focal part of the design that draws the most attention is known as emphasis. Emphasis can be accomplished with colour, line, texture, design details, trims, and accessories.

Design Principle: Rhythm Rhythm carries the eye through a regular pattern produced by design elements. Three ways to achieve rhythm in fashion: – Repetition: a pattern repeats in the garment – Radiation: lines or patterns flow from a central location – Gradation: a pattern changes gradually.

Design Principle: Harmony A design has visual harmony when the design elements complement each other. The elements relate in a unified way to convey a single theme. When harmony exists, each part looks like it belongs.

Different Body Shapes & Frames There are four basic body shapes… – Apple, Pear, Hourglass, Rectangle

Application Activity Refer to page 176 in the Clothing text. Look through magazines and collect illustrations of clothes with different line types and directions. Use a black marker to highlight the dominant lines in each garment. Group the garments together to create small collections of similar lines.