Types of Balance in Art and Design and Why You Need It

Find out why balance is so important in art and design, and how you can apply the four types of balance to your own creative projects.

Balance, which is how visuals are arranged on a layout, is one of the key principles of graphic design and art, helping an image feel stable and generally pleasing to the eye.

Although the elements that make up an image do not have physical mass, Libra assigns visual weight to these elements, which makes some feel heavier or lighter than others. If you ever looked at a picture and thought something was a bit of about this, but I couldn’t really define why, it’s likely that poor balance consideration is a factor. Likewise, a good looking image will likely use one of four types of scales:symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, or crystallographic—To produce a professional result.

An often overlooked design principle, established artists often apply balance instinctively, but we can all benefit from a little balance education to make our designs, photos, and illustrations the best they can be. Read on to find out how to apply the four types of balance to your own projects to create compelling images.

What is balance in art?

Balance is the distribution of elements in a design or illustration. The human eye always seeks order and stability in images. This is the psychological reason we are drawn to faces and symmetrical objects. By assigning elements in an image with visual weight, we can promote a sense of balance and stability, helping to relax the eye and make the image more attractive.

Although balance appeared in some prehistoric and ancient arts, the principle of balance was formalized by artists working during the Renaissance period. Leonardo DaVinci was particularly renowned for his search for balance in paintings like The last supper and his famous drawing, Vitruvian man (“Proportions of the human body”). DaVinci based the latter on the teachings of Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, who argued that the proportions of a temple should mirror those of the human body, which he believed to be perfectly proportioned.

Does balance always mean symmetry?

While balance may immediately recall symmetrical balance, symmetry is actually just one of the four types of balance in art and design. That said, the principle of symmetry certainly influences the other three types, as each type strives to mimic the effect of symmetry on the brain.

For example, while an asymmetric image cannot be split down the middle and produce a mirror image on either side, the heavier and lighter elements strive to balance each other (e.g. two elements light for a heavy element) reproduces the stabilizing effect that symmetry has on the viewer.

There are four main types of balance that can be applied in art, design, and photography, of which symmetry is one. The four types are:

• Symmetrical balance
• Asymmetric scale
• Radial balance
• Crystallographic balance (or mosaic)

Read on to learn more about each type and how you can use them to make your images more engaging, compelling, and balanced.

1. Symmetric balance

What is symmetrical equilibrium?

Symmetrical balance is achieved by giving equal weight to the elements across the center point of a composition. The center point can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal. The result is a repeating or mirrored image (called perfectly symmetrical) that appears to be perfectly balanced.

How to use the symmetrical balance?

Do you remember making symmetrical “squish” paintings in school? These effortless designs demonstrate how symmetry is an instant beautifier, able to transform a messy painting into a beautiful mirror image.

Symmetry is inherently attractive – we’re programmed to find symmetrical faces more attractive, for example. Whether this is due to evolutionary theory requiring us to seek out a healthy mate, or simply because we like to impose order on a largely unstructured and random world, it is clear that almost everyone finds the images symmetrical. more pleasing to the eye.

One of the most useful uses of symmetry is that it helps tidy up imperfect or messy images. This type of balance works especially well for wide layouts, such as full width web designs, allowing the designer to repeat an image across and enhance a delicate area. In symmetrical images, the eye is also drawn to the mirroring point, usually in the center of the image. A symmetrical image can be a good framing technique for placing headlines, calls to action, or clickable buttons, for example.

While symmetrical balance is appealing and sought after, it is also ubiquitous in visual culture, meaning that symmetrical images can become like white noise. Try to animate an otherwise symmetrical image with a point of difference, such as a different color on one side of the drawing. This will help keep the viewer’s eye active and the image attractive.

2. Asymmetric balance

What is asymmetric equilibrium?

Asymmetric Balance occurs when the elements of a layout are different, but being also weighted they still feel balanced. There may be two elements with similar weight but different shapes, or one larger, heavier element balanced by a few smaller focal points. Compared to symmetry, asymmetric balance can produce images with different levels of attractiveness, but in general they give more interesting dynamic images.

How to use the asymmetric scale?

Compared to symmetry, finding the perfect asymmetric balance may require a bit more experimentation and skill. However, the result can be completely modern, energetic and engaging images. If symmetry was the calming perfection of the 50s, the asymmetry is more like the quirky spirit of the 60s. Both eras have their own design merits, but there is something a little more intriguing and refreshing about images that seem a bit offbeat.

Asymmetrical balance is all about being confident and playful with the scale, color, and shape of the layout elements. The idea is to keep the eye engaged because the image is not symmetrical, while promoting a general sense of balance. If two elements are too similar, they risk appearing as a poorly executed interpretation of symmetrical balance. Try making one element larger and smaller others for high contrast, or use brighter colors on a smaller element to make it even out larger, duller elements.

Distance can also play a role in promoting asymmetric balance. A large, heavy item that can be perceived to be further apart or lower than a smaller, lighter item will give an impression of accuracy to the overall image. Distance and / or hierarchy helps the smallest element not to feel overwhelmed, creating a playful and balanced image. Everybody wins!

3. Radial balance

What is radial balance?

The ripples of the water, the interiors of seashells and the rays of the sun all have a hypnotic and calming quality. These types of images use radial balance to draw the eye to a central focal point. Elements also radiate from the center, creating a balanced and calming layout.

How to use the radial scale?

Radial balance often occurs naturally in the environment – ripples, swirls, tree rings, and flower petals are all examples of this beautiful form of balance. In graphic design, spirals are the best way to achieve radial balance, and they can also be a useful technique for drawing the eye’s attention to the center of the image. Sales flyers and event posters often use the principle of radial balance through circular frames or borders to draw the customer’s attention to an offer or date.

In photography, close-ups of plants and flowers often reveal an innate radial balance, creating serene and naturally beautiful images. Illustrators can create their own spiral designs that demonstrate radial balance, with circular optical illusions taking the principle of radial balance and exaggerating its hypnotic effect to the extreme.

4. Crystallographic equilibrium

What is crystallographic equilibrium?

Crystallographic (or mosaic) equilibrium is obtained by giving a weight equal to a large number of elements. The result is not a perfectly symmetrical pattern, but a balanced type of chaos in which several different elements combine into a unified whole. Because the eye cannot locate a single focal point in a crystallographic image, the viewer is led to accept the image as a balanced whole, even though there may be a multitude of different and random elements.

How to use the crystallographic balance?

You can promote mosaic balance in your designs and photographs by filling the layout with different elements. Too sparse layouts will allow the eye to locate individual elements, diluting the effect.

Think of the paintings by Jackson Pollack. Although his work is chaotic and diverse in nature, the overall effect is of a calm and even whole. You can use different or similar elements and repeat them to create a crystallographic effect. These types of images are often read to the eye as background noise, so they work well as backgrounds and backgrounds for other important graphics or typography.

You can also afford to be playful with the scale and proportions. Slightly enlarged elements won’t overwhelm smaller ones when combined in a busy tiled layout. In fact, an intoxicating combination of randomly sized elements can actually make the image more attractive and natural. You can also use a similar or complementary color palette to bring mosaic images together, making them even more balanced.

On balance

Balance is one of the principles underlying the appeal of art or creations, but it is often taken for granted. With a little more know-how on the different types of balances and how these can affect the impact of images, you can create images that feel… perfect!

Want to learn more about design theory? From how to use the color black with a punchy effect, to the ultimate guide on how to use the golden ratio, don’t miss these tutorials and articles:

Cover image by contributor First_emotion.