Elements of Design

Elements of Design The directly observable components, ingredients, and physical characteristics of a design.

Elements of Floral Design Line • Form • Space Texture • Pattern • Fragrance • Size • Color

Line The vital visual path that directs eye movement through a composition. A line is simply the distance between two points Line directions have meanings

Vertical Line Vertical lines - stress height and suggest power and strength

Horizontal Line Horizontal lines - stress width and are peaceful and calm, provide a sense of stability

Diagonal Line Diagonal line - lively and energetic, causing more eye movement. Use sparingly

Curved Line Curved line - suggest motion, but are softer, more comforting. Eye moves quickly through design.

Form • The shape or configuration of an individual component of the composition the overall, three – dimensional, geometric shape or configuration of a floral composition.  Form is essentially shape  Every component of a flower arrangement carries with it some form.

Forms of flower arrangements

Space  The area in, around, and between the components of the design, defined by the three-dimensional area occupied by the composition. Positive space  Negative space

Negative Space  The planned area within a composition that is devoid of any materials: essentially, empty space.

Positive Space  The portion of a composition which is physically occupied by something… a flower, a branch, a container, or some solid object.

Void  The term void is used to describe empty space that serves to visually separate areas of positive space.

Texture The surface quality of a material, as perceived by sight or touch. • Every component of a floral design possesses some surface quality, whether it is smooth, coarse, waxy, rough, delicate, or velvety.  In floral design, textures are combined in certain ways in order to create interest and/or unity in the design.

Smooth  Having a surface free from irregularities, roughness, or projections

Coarse  Consisting of large particles; not fine in texture

Waxy  Smooth and lustrous soft surface

Rough  Marked by inequalities, ridges, or projections on the surface

Delicate  Fine in texture, quality, fragile, easily damaged, frail

Velvety  Something suggesting the smooth surface of velvet,softness.

Just as with the other elements of design, the kinds and amounts of texture variations within a floral design are determined by the choices of the designer, always with an eye for harmony. • Too many different textures in one arrangement can be distracting.

Pattern • A repeated combination of line, form, color, texture, and/or space. • The silhouette of a flower or an arrangement as observed against its background, including solids and spaces. • A pattern is a composite of features resulting in a decorative design of natural or artistic origin.

Patterns enhance the beauty of the flower or the design  We see patterns all around us

The concept of repetition is important in that design elements placed in a repeated pattern can generate a sense of rhythm as well as interest.

Fragrance • A sweet or pleasing odor, perceived by the sense of smell • Almost anyone, when presented with a bouquet will bring it immediately to his or her nose to see how good it might smell

Size • The physical dimensions of line, form, or space • One of the first considerations in floral design • The sizes of the selected flowers must be right for the arrangement • The composition itself must be an appropriate size for its surroundings

Size is the element from which the principles of proportion and scale are derived. Small Large

Color • The visual response of the eye to reflected rays of light • Most important design element • Optical sensation, originating in the brain’s perception of light energy reflected to the eye from a pigmented surface. • Emotional response

Color is the first thing you see when looking at a flower arrangement.

Elements of Design