What Is Design?

Again, before going into analyzing things I think it is important to set the groundwork first. In this case, when we are discussing design, it is a good idea to first talk about what we even mean with the word “design”. The problem with the word is it is such a broad term that covers many different things and is used in many different contexts with different meanings. The word has a multitude of uses within painting, but also extends beyond that into other areas of art that aren't visual. Defining it can be as difficult as defining “art”, and then it gets more complicated when we get to discussing good design or bad design. That being said, I will try to set out a loose definition and description of how I see design so we have some basis to understand from what viewpoint we are approaching images.

What is design in painting?

To me, design is PURPOSEFUL arrangement, and is the sum of all the choices made in the process of creating a work of art. In the context of painting this means creating hierarchies (I may write a future article on hierarchies, what they are, how to make them and so on) and controlling where things are placed on the canvas. It is the composition of the contrast, variety and unity of EVERY aspect in art, including but not limited to:

·         Value

·         Hue

·         Saturation

·         Temperature

·         Type of shape

·         Size of shape

·         Texture

·         Detail

·         Materials

·         Form/Flat

·         Space (positive/negative)

·         Edges

·         Planar vs rounded

·         Mass Linking

·         Direction/movement

·         Rhythm

·         Brushwork

·         Line (weight, direction etc)

·         Location on canvas (x, y, and z axes)

·         Pattern

·         Abstraction

·         Transparency vs. Opaqueness

·         Micro and Macro reads on an image

·         Mystery (what is revealed or hidden)

·         Proximity

·         Tangents/Pseudotangents

Design in each of those areas is something which should be considered carefully for maximum effect—what do you emphasize? what do you downplay? How much contrast and variety exists within each aspect will be up to the artist and will change how the image reads and how successful it is, and plays into what defines that artist’s style. Obviously not everything on that list will apply to every image (an ink drawing by its very nature won’t have colour for example), and often certain aspects will be downplayed in order for others to shine (for example the Impressionists would sometimes sacrifice value in order to play up purity of colour). In this article I won’t delve into these aspects but will rather just leave it as a list so people can see just how many things in an image can be designed. Future articles may discuss specifics within a single aspect and how we can design and control it for different purposes.

Ultimately, design is decision, and decisions are art.  We all know of those people who meticulously copy out photos to create photoreal images which are indistinguishable from the photo…they make grids and copy mindlessly as closely as is possible. That is the opposite of design since every decision is taken out of the equation. The only design present is that which the photographer did when taking the photo.

There are of course other uses of the word design, such as functional design in mechanical inventions or clothing or other things, but this blog will mostly be concerned with design in a visual sense within the context of painting and illustration.

What is design for?

We use design to lead the eye where we want it to look, to let it jump over less important areas, to make an image visually appealing, to make an image understandable, and to hold the image together in one unified concept. Design can be in itself an end (art for art’s sake) or, more often, it is a means to an end (such as an illustration which depicts a scene or emotion).

What makes good design?

As I mentioned previously, design must be purposeful. If something happens accidentally it is not good design; if a statement is hesitant or unsure of itself, it is not good design. It must be done for a specific purpose, and the quality of that design depends on how successful it was at achieving that purpose. For any problem in an image there will be multiple solutions—which one is chosen will depend on the situation as well as the individual artist and their style and preferences. Good design solves a problem; GREAT design solves it in an elegant, simple, and novel way. Typically the more economical a solution is, the better it is.

Design is not simply observation, but a conscious analysis and decision about how to show that observation. It is important to remember that design hangs upon reality.

Design vs Painting

Many people mistake good painting for good design. The two are interrelated, but ultimately two separate things. A painting may be technically well done, but if it fails to resolve the problem which it set out on, then it is a failure of design. I suppose this is a rather large topic that deserves its own article. It’s rather difficult too since design is often hard to see until it is pointed out, then it becomes clear as day (note that even when we don’t see the design itself, the effects of the design are still effective). For now I’ll just leave a quote by Harvey Dunn:

“We can learn to paint and draw till the cows come home, and won’t know a thing about pictures. We can actually draw and paint better than most, and still not make pictures. Drawing and painting are merely tools in the hands of him who would make a picture and must be used in making pictures. Most painters are inclined to, when painting from a model, let the model take charge. And they never make a picture. Can I define a picture? No. I can’t very well, because a picture is its own definition. It’s something words can’t quite express.”

I realize that much of this may be confusing or unclear since it is discussing a broad, complex subject in a very abstract way. Future posts will take a look at various paintings and see how they were successful or unsuccessful and why, and hopefully will clear up some of the things I am swiftly breezing over. I particularly am excited to compare different paintings of the same subjects which were handled in different manners.