Proportion

Apparel Designing and Construction 3(1+2)

Lesson 8 : Principles of Design: Components, Proportion and Balance

Proportion

Definition and concept

Proportion describes the relationship of various components of the design to each other and to the whole. It is the outcome of relationship between the distances, size, amounts, degrees or parts in a design (Fig. 8.1). It can apply to one dimensional line, two dimensional shapes or three dimensional forms. Proportion is a synthesizing principle that calls for examination of parts and a complete whole followed by pulling them collectively to create and integrate on perception. The relationships of proportion can work on any or all of following four levels:

a
  • Within one part of a design
  • Among different parts of a design
  • Between a part to whole design

Conventionally, proportion deals mainly with divisions of lines, shapes or areas in apparel that affects the proportion of textures, colours (Fig.8.2) or pattern in a design. Every proportion of lines, shape or form in a design does not result in pleasing effects. There are some guidelines that have been established and considered for many centuries and well accepted in many cultures. An equal division of a line or two dimensional shapes Fig. 8.3(a) appears least interesting followed by extreme unequal division Fig. 8.3(b) that appears somewhat interesting. The most interesting division is unequal division Fig. 8.3(c) of line and 2-D shapes but the one where the smaller part is large enough to generate interest and the larger part is small enough to encourage comparison.

b


c

The golden mean refers to the proportion which divides the complete whole such that one unit is about 2/3rd or 3/5th of the other. This proportion is well established and accepted among artists and architects alike in different cultures. This proportion is depicted in the Fig. 8.4. This figure has a square ABCD and E is centre point of line BC; taking AE as radius an arc is drawn such that it intersects the extended line BC at G and a rectangle AFGB is drawn. This results in creation of a rectangle with pleasing proportion.

The golden mean is established along a series of ratios wherein the addition of any two adjacent numbers equals the next number like 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, and so on. Any fraction formed from two adjacent numbers, using the larger one as numerator and the smaller one as denominator results into a fraction that gives the same decimal figure. For example, 21/13 = 1.618 and 89/55 = 1.618.


Scale & Effects of proportion

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Last modified: Friday, 16 March 2012, 6:46 AM