Basic Design "At Home With Flowers"

UNIT 1   Line Design, part one      class notes, page 1              Print PDF Document

Traditional line designs are usually naturalistic and show Oriental influence.  Simplicity is achieved by restraint in materials used.  The line is the dominant form with little or no additional plant material, resulting in a sharp silhouette, that draws your eye through the design.  It has a strong thrust of line material.

Select clean-cut material with similar characteristics.  The individual qualities of each piece of plant material should be clearly seen and shown to their best advantage. Branches, leaves and flowers may be pruned to emphasize line.

Lines provide directional movement by forcing the eye to move along its length, thus establishing rhythm within a design.  Rhythm is the most important principle in a line design.   It is a communicating factor, promoting harmony, unity or contrast and suggest motion.

Principles of Design
Balance
Rhythm
Dominance
Contrast
Proportion
Scale

Elements of Design
Line
Color
Light
Texture
Pattern
Form
Size
Space

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Containers

  • Shallow and cylindrical containers are suitable for vertical and side triangle line designs.

  • A compote, or low bowl is excellent for horizontal and crescent line designs.

  • The traditional oriental triangle line design and zig zag designs are complimented by oriental style containers.

  • The number of lines used must appear in proportion to the size of the container.

Placement of Plant Material

  • The line is established first.
  • All stems should be placed as close together as possible and appear to radiate from one point.
  • The unity of the design is destroyed by a variation of lines radiating out in different directions.

Some suitable line materials include:
pear branches yucca gladiolus
glad leaves Scotch broom liatris
bamboo sanseveria bare branches w/ interesting side shoots


 

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