March 2008

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Janneke Smit

The Elements of Design - Movement

The elements of design are the basic components used to create any visual design or work of art. In the previous months we saw how to use the elements point, line and form to communicate the message of our scrapbook layout to the viewer. This month we will explore the related element, movement. Movement is the design element that operates in the fourth dimension - time. Movement is the motion of objects in space over time, and it can be described as literal or compositional.

Literal movement

Literal movement is physical movement. An example of a design with literal movement is a car; the moving parts in the design make the car physically move. An art form with literal movement is motion pictures. Dance is probably the oldest art form that involves literal movement.

Compositional movement

Another way to think about movement is to consider how the viewer's eye moves through a given composition. This is called compositional movement. In this case we are interested in how the viewer perceives the composition - how the components of your scrapbook page relate and lead the viewer's attention.

Static movement is characterized by movement of the eye that jumps between separate parts of the layout, attracted by similarities and simply shifting to related shapes or colors.

Dynamic movement is characterized by movement of the eye that flows smoothly from one part of the layout to another, guided by continuations of line or form, and by gradations of color or form.

The eye will always move through the page in some way, so there is always some sort of compositional movement. All compositions can be described in terms of static or dynamic - or both. Let’s take a look at some layouts and see how our eyes move through the pages.

An excellent example of dynamic movement is On the Run by Kari Sweeney. The series of photos from small to large and the continuation of the curved lines make your eyes flow smoothly over the page from left to right (and up).

Design note: I modified and resized the photo in black and white in different sizes to create the running look leading up to the large photo in color.

On the Run by Kari Sweeney. Supplies: Patterned paper: K and Company, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Chipboard: Queen & Co, ScrapEssentials, Flowers: Making Memories, Prima, Rub-on: BasicGrey, Pen: American Craft Slick Writer, Die set: QuicKutz Punctuation.

Journaling: Once you found your feet you were...

On Beckie Dreyer’s layout, Stop Spinning, the continuation of the title and journaling words moves the eyes around the photo. This dynamic movement is enforced by connecting the words with the doodling and using arrows that point the way.

Design note: This picture makes me laugh every time I see it. It is of my brother and my daughter. They were on one of those water boats which spin round. When I designed the layout I wanted to make the picture feel like it was moving. To achieve this I decided to use circles and layered them around the photo. The arrows were to show the way of the spin.

Stop Spinning by Beckie Dreyer. Supplies: Patterned paper: Rusty Pickle, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Chipboard alphabet: Rusty Pickle, Buttons: Doodlebug Design, Rub-ons: GinX, Other: rick rack, wire, seed beads.

Journaling: Stop Spinning said Uncle Dave ... I feel sick!

On Debbie VanMarter’s layout, Dream Come True, we see both dynamic and static movement. The eyes jump between the stars and also between the same colored stars, circle and number 4 - which is static movement. The continuing line made by the stitching makes the eyes flow smoothly around the photo block, which is dynamic movement.

	Design note: I machine stitched around the patterned paper to make a design element and then I cut out stars by simply drawing grade school stars on the back of the patterned paper and cutting them out with an exacto.
Dream Come True by Debbie VanMarter. Supplies: Paper: Scenic Route, Karen Foster, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Chipboard: Junkitz, Chipboard alphabet: Li’l Davis Designs, White pen: Signo. Journaling: A Dream come true is what you are. No matter how old you get, you will always be my sweet, loving BOY.

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