Principles of Art

Unity

Unity is the second principle of design you will study. You can see examples of unity all around you. You may have heard the hockey coach or school principal talk about team unity and school spirit. The hockey coach and principal each believe that a better result can be reached if there is unity among the hockey-team members and among the students of the school.
Think of the importance of unity involved in a team of sled dogs. If the team of dogs lacked unity, the dogs would be running in many different directions.

A designer may use lines, textures, pattern, form, shape, space, and color to create unity. Whatever features are used to create unity, the less important elements should not interfere with the most important features and break the sense of unity. Too much of the same pattern or repetition can be boring and produce monotony. Differences in patterns add interest and variety. Compare the following diagrams.

To prevent monotony, vary the following:

lines
shapes
forms
textures
patterns
colors
spaces

Varying the elements of design also helps unify a composition and adds variety and interest.

Unity within a well composed design accomplishes two things:

Unity creates a sense of order. When a design possesses unity there will be a consistency of sizes and shapes, as well as a harmony of color and pattern. One way this is accomplished is by repeating the key elements, balancing them throughout the composition, and then adding a little variety so that the design has its own sense of personality. Learning to juggle the elements and principles in such a way as to achieve the right mix is a key to good design.
Unity also gives elements the appearance of completeness, that they belong together. When a composition has unity the design will be viewed as one piece, as a whole, and not as separate elements with the painting. Using too many shapes and forms may cause a design to be unfocused, cluttered and confusing. A well organized design will be achieved by using a basic shape which is then repeated throughout the composition.

For a great discussion of unity visit this site:
http://www.utdallas.edu/~mel024000/pages/unity.html