Term: Balance

As a principle of design, balance refers to arranging elements so that no one part of an image overpowers or seems heavier than another. Balance is a kind of visual equilibrium that relates to our physical sense of balance. An artist balances his or her artwork by positioning opposing shapes, values, and colors so that the final effect feels stable.

Balance in three dimensional art is easy to see because an unbalanced object will fall over. Balance in two dimensional art is similar in concept but we need additional terms to help describe it. For instance, two dimensional balance can be either symmetrical (sometimes called formal) or asymmetrical (or informal). A symmetrical balance is where elements look similar on either side of an imaginary line through the middle of a piece. Asymmetrical balance occurs when elements are placed unevenly but work together to achieve overall equilibrium. For example, to balance a heavy object in one area the artist might put several lighter objects in another area. It is also possible to place objects of equal weight but different mass on opposing sides of a piece (such as, a large mass of feathers balancing a small mass of stones).