Mini Art School Summary

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The fifth chapter in the textbook White Space is not your Enemy, by Rebecca Hagen and Kim Golombisky, is titled “Mini Art School,” and as the name suggests, it is a quick overview of basic art concepts. The chapter goes over the seven basic elements of design, the six rules of good design, and the four laws of the Gestalt theory. These concepts are all explained on a basic level in order to give those who do not have a background in art an understanding of what is important for creating good design. The seven elements of design as described by Hagen and Golombisky are space, line, shape/form, size and scale, color, texture, and value. The element of space has to do with the balance of negative and positive space. Negative space is empty space, and positive space is filled space. The book stresses the importance of how the interplay between positive and negative space makes an image interesting to look at. The next element is line, which is described as a tool used to define and create positive and negative space. Lines and be horizontal, vertical, and curved. They are also used to direct the eye flow in an image, and to add movement. The element of shape, or form, refers to the shape of the layout and the shape of the items within the layout. A rectangle is the most common shape for a layout and for blocks of copy. A rectangle is considered an inorganic shape, but other shapes might be considered organic if they more resemble what is found in nature. The fourth element deals with size and scale. Size refers to the exact measurement of an image, usually in pixels or inches, while scale refers to the relative size of the various components within the layout. The next element is color, which the book decided is too important of tool to discuss as part of this chapter. Rather, the book dedicated another chapter entirely to color. The final two elements are texture and

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