Elements of Design

Foreground & Background

The presence or absence of positive and negative space in the foreground or background of a visual compositions also helps us to interpret what we see.

Focal point: The object or area where the viewer is expected to look first is the focal point. This is always important to ensure the right element receives the most attention.

Did you look at 2E14 first? It is the focal point!

The relationship between a figure and the background is a fundamental association of a positive and negative or shape versus space. However, in a curious way, space around figures has shape, too. To orchestrate harmonic balance in the parts of the design, the designer has the critical task to achieve a sense of the relationship between the shapes of the design and the configuration of the space around the shapes.

Equally important, attention must be given to the shape of the figures and the shape of the surrounding space or background. In the first image below, the word "FLY" (spelled with cut-out images of hot air balloons) is barely discernible from the red background.

 

 
Shapes on a two-dimensional surface can be produced other than by using lines. Areas of colour (such as the red areas above), are not surrounded by lines, yet they are clear and distinct. The area of colour has a hard edge and defines the shape. The negative space around the word "FLY" is more obvious than the word itself. The text "above" contrasts well and is easily discernible in both images.