Design and Balance

Today on the bus I started wondering why the people who draw well are often the people who design well. Not always though, but it's a generalisation. I'm not talking about how artists are able to visualise objects better - that is of course a given. It so happens a bus came and I started tracing its outline mentally. Then I came upon the conclusion that design is all about balance.

There are some designs that look good. And there are some that no matter which angle you look at, it will always seem so mediocre and bland. There are some patterns that make you wonder at its intricacy and go how the hell did anyone come up with that. Sharon told me once that patterns can be created with Maths - isn't that what it is about? Maths is about balance, algebra especially. x+1 = 2, x must be 1. Colour A + Colour B = Result C. And if you want C you cannot do without A or B. Adding in a D will only make the equation unbalanced and wrong.

Same concept for design. There are some colours that just do not go well with one another. If one were to use them they must be balanced off with something else: space, shape, gradient, patterns maybe. Removing certain ingredients from the recipe takes away the taste of the food. Adding in some things only enhances it.

Back to artists VS designers. The people who draw well are often the ones who design well. Why is this? Because artists have a subtle understanding of Maths. They feel balance without thinking about it. That's probably what 'an eye for design' is about - an eye for balance, an eye for contrast (which in itself is balance), an eye for detail... not messy jumbled detail but detail at the right places to balance off the wrong. Isn't that what intricate patterns are about? Sometimes when I'm drawing a figure it just turns out wrong. The thumb is sticking in the wrong direction. The palm shouldn't be facing upward. Adding in the correct lines changes everything - from amateur and untrained my drawing is suddenly transformed into something that has 'potential'.

Nature balances things out, I notice. Take a tree for instance. If the trunk is facing left the crown cannot be in the same direction. Not scientifically possible. The centre of gravity is off. When that happens, the root goes in the opposite direction to balance it out. By opposite I mean taking the ground level to be the mirror.

And that is the reason why most artists are better at design. Years of drawing have made them subconsciously adept at understanding balance. Some things look good with others and some just don't. Whatever goes up will definitely come down. Design, nature, life - whatever. Now I understand why there's yin and yang. So true.

Note: Okay for one, I'm not claiming to be a scientist or philosopher and I'm sure there are examples which I use that are wrong. And I care to debate about it. :) I'm not saying that ALL artists can design well, because I've seen quite a few who don't. I'm just saying that all good designers understand balance, whether consciously or sub-consciously and no matter how messy their designs, there will always be balance in the unbalanced. Like for example, exaggerated poses that still look good.

On a side note, you know you're an INFP when you type out an entire philosophical entry about design, balance and yin yang.

On a side note, I've decided that my BF should be someone who can debate with me on these thoughts, aside from being rich enough to buy me a) the 1-m teddy bear from Loony Toons b) box of Copic markers c) design magazines / books d) nice clothes e) Sakae Sushi / expensive restaurants f) air tickets to anywhere in the world... multiple times and g) a library.

And hence - and hence - and hence: Now I know what my problem with 'furpy' is. It doesn't look as balanced as I want it to.