Balancing elements refers to the practice of creating harmony and stability in a composition through the thoughtful arrangement of opposing forces or ideas. In art, design, feng shui, and many other fields, balancing elements is a key principle for achieving aesthetic balance and visual interest. The concept stems from the eastern philosophy of yin and yang, which sees the world as shaped by the interaction of contrasting yet complementary forces. When elements are balanced within a composition, the result is often a satisfying sense of order and equilibrium.
The Principle of Balancing Elements
The basic goal of balancing elements is to offset elements that have strongly contrasting characteristics. For example, in visual arts, balance can be achieved by contrasting elements like light and dark, vertical and horizontal, solid and void, simple and complex, or active and passive. Rather than placing all high-energy elements in one area and passive elements in another, they are distributed in a way that looks and feels stable. When complementary elements are balanced, they create a sense of visual tension as opposing forces, but this dynamic balance feels harmonious rather than chaotic.
Some key ways that elements can contrast and balance one another include:
- Size – Large shapes can balance small shapes
- Quantity – A few large shapes can balance many small shapes
- Color – Complementary or contrasting colors create balance
- Placement – Symmetry and radial balance distribute weight
- Visual weight – Dark shapes can balance light shapes
- Direction – Vertical shapes balance horizontal shapes
Balancing elements is not an exact science. The goal is to create a pleasing composition where no one part of the image or design overpowers the others. Skillful balancing makes a work feel unified yet intriguing through the dynamic tension between contrasting elements.
Achieving Balance
There are several strategies for effectively balancing elements in different contexts:
Symmetrical Balance
Symmetrical balance is achieved by arranging equivalent elements on both sides of the composition’s vertical axis. This creates a sense of equal visual weight and stability. Symmetrical compositions have a formal, orderly appearance. Examples include architectural facades, Rorschach inkblot tests, and the bilateral symmetry of the human body.
Asymmetrical Balance
Asymmetrical balance relies on careful arrangement of uneven objects to still feel balanced. Larger or heavier visual elements can balance many smaller elements. Asymmetrical balance creates a more dynamic, informal composition than symmetrical balance. Examples include impromptu snapshots, abstract paintings, and architectural blueprints.
Radial Balance
Radial balance organizes elements around a central point, with visual weight emanating outwards like spokes on a wheel. The circular repetition creates a sense of harmony. Radial balance is seen in round stained glass windows, flowers, mandalas, and the ripples from a pebble dropped in water.
Color Balance
Complementary colors like red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple create visual balance when placed next to each other. Using one color to frame another also balances the composition. Balance can come from evenly distributing color throughout a work or strategically placing vivid color against neutral tones.
Value Balance
Balancing light and dark values creates contrast and visual traction. Areas of high-key value balance areas of low-key value. Dramatic lighting illuminates some elements while other recede into shadow. A value scale moves evenly from black to white.
Positive and Negative Space Balance
Positive and negative space balance each other in a composition. Positive space contains the main shapes or focal points. Negative space forms the area around and between the positive elements. Skillful use of negative space brings balance and clarity to a design.
Texture Balance
Contrasting textures create tactile balance. Smooth, shiny surfaces balance matte, coarse ones. Organic textures balance geometric ones. Combining granular and smooth textures adds visual interest through balanced variety.
Why Balance Elements?
There are several key reasons why balancing elements is so important in the visual arts and design:
- Unity – Balance brings coherence to a composition full of contrasting elements.
- Harmony – A balanced work conveys a sense of order, stability and equilibrium.
- Visual interest – Contrasts make individual elements stand out rather than blend together.
- Focus – Balancing elements helps guide the viewer’s eye through key focal points.
- Function – In design, balance contributes to usability and functionality.
- Aesthetics – Balance adheres to principles of good composition and design.
In summary, balancing elements creates a final work or design that feels integrated, pleasing to the eye, and able to effectively convey meaning to the viewer or user.
Examples of Balancing Elements
Here are some examples that demonstrate balanced arrangements of contrasting elements:
Yin Yang Symbol
This classic Taoist symbol epitomizes balanced duality. The symmetrical black and white shapes contain a dot of the opposite color to show how contrary forces contain a seed of each other. The yin yang demonstrates coincidentia oppositorum, or non-dualistic balance.
Landscape Painting
A landscape painting balances compositional elements like land, water and sky. The water might balance the land in quantity. Lush trees offset a stark expanse of desert. Distant mountains balance large boulders in the foreground. Overall the landscape balances natural harmony with pockets of detail and contrast.
Graphic Design
A print ad balances text and images. Small text balances a large product shot. Light body text balances a bold headline. More intricate typography balances simpler areas. Shapes, colors, and negative space all balance each other for visual appeal.
Interior Design
An interior space balances furnishings of different sizes, styles and colors. Pillows balance accessories on shelves. The rug shape echoes the coffee table shape. Bright accent colors liven up neutral walls. Circulation paths balance open seating areas.
Garden Design
A garden design balances planting beds, hardscapes, elevation changes, and open lawn. Flower variety provides seasonal color balance. Trees anchor the space and balance lower plantings. Water features like fountains balance dry garden beds.
Tips for Balancing Elements
Here are some useful tips for balancing contrasting elements in a visually pleasing way:
- Map out elements before arranging them so you can strategically distribute weight and color.
- Aim for evenly distributed negative space around elements.
- Repeat some colors, shapes, or textures to tie the composition together.
- Focus on the biggest contrast first, then balance secondary ones.
- Step back periodically to check that the composition looks balanced from a distance.
- For asymmetry, make the center of visual weight slightly off center.
- Check that the most important element successfully draws the viewer’s eye.
Balancing Elements in Feng Shui
In the ancient Chinese art of feng shui, balancing elements refers specifically to the balance between five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The goal is to distribute these five natural elements evenly through a space to maximize positive chi, or life energy. Below are some core principles of balancing elements in feng shui design:
- Flow – Elements should be arranged to encourage smooth movement and energy flow rather than clump together.
- Cycles – Elements should exist in balanced proportions to support natural creative and destructive cycles.
- Energy – Some elements energize while others stabilize; both are needed in harmony.
- Placement – Certain elements are best used in specific rooms, corners, or directional areas.
- Yin/yang – Balancing yin and yang energies tied to the five elements brings equilibrium.
When the five elements are out of balance or improperly positioned, it disturbs the chi in a space. Thoughtful feng shui design balances all elements for optimal energy flow.
Conclusion
Balancing elements is a nuanced skill that requires evaluating the relative visual weight, spatial relationships, and inherent energies of the parts that make up a composition. When contrasting elements harmonize in a balanced way, they create something beautiful and pleasing to experience. Taking the time to properly balance various elements typically leads to more polished, professional visual and spatial compositions that convey stability and equilibrium.
