Art in Asymmetry

by Staci Louise Smith

Why asymmetry in design?  Well, when you switch up the color, the texture, the direction and flow of a piece, it creates interest.  It keeps the viewer looking at it, and back over it, following little details, back and forth and through it.  It makes it stand out from other designs, it makes it unique, original.  It gives it a natural organic feel, since nature is not symmetrical.  

Art is not symmetrical.  Whether you are viewing a painting, or a sculpture, the subject keeps your eye moving around, up and down, and through the entire piece.  This is intentional, it is the composition of the piece.

Sculptures are made to be viewed from all angles, keeping interest the entire way around the piece, as Steve Frank certainly does with his piece below.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151412336/modern-abstract-wood-sculpture?ref=shop_home_active_4

There are ways to get the eye to do that.  Repeating things is one way.  You can repeat shapes, colors, or textures throughout a piece.  This will keep the eye traveling around the piece, as well as create a visual balance in an asymmetrical design.  Also, adding some contrast in your piece will continue to create interest and make the pieces that are repeated pop.

I love this lino cut by Jess Freeman.  It uses vertical free form trees repeated to move your eye across the picture- and contrast is added by horizontal lines in varying thickness'.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/88851195/abstract-landscape-linocut-print-9?ref=related-2

I also picked this lovely painting by Amanda of Earth Angels Art.  Look at how she uses the moths, and dots throughout the picture to keep your eye moving around.  They are lighter color, to contrast the dark sky, and repeated, to keep your eye looking for them.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/99101108/the-owl-and-moon-art-print-by-amanda?ref=shop_home_active_5

I think that often we do these things while designing without even knowing it.  However, it helps to know and understand these things, because sometimes we are stuck, sometimes we just can't figure out why something doesn't look right, and then we have these rules and guidelines and tips to fall back on.

Lorelei did a great job using repetitive shapes in this piece.  The similarity in shape keeps your eye moving right through the necklace, and the variety of textures and color hold your interest.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoreleiEurtoJewelry

It's also a good example of visual balance, as it has the appearance of being symmetrical, even though it isn't.

Visual balance can be created in many ways.  This piece / style below is one of my favorite pieces.  It is in no way symmetrical, yet, it is balanced using muted colors, and basic shape and size.  It comes to a focal point at the bottom center, and graduates by size on each side.  Swirls and repeated shapes and colors pull the eye through the piece.

I think that for those of you who gravitate to symmetry in your designs, this is a great way to start trying out asymmetry.  Try to create that visual balance while at the same time, adding interest by using different components, with varying texture, shape and color.

I also like this piece by Glowfly, which is just a very intricate pendant.  It looks very symmetrical at first glance.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/175524562/vday-sale-in-the-field-necklace-poppy?ref=shop_home_active_7

However, it is not symmetrical.  They have used the flowers and leaves and lines of the stems to create repetition in the piece, though it is definitely not symmetrical.  It creates a wonderful feel of symmetry while adding the interest of an asymmetrical piece.


Now- you can also do a great asymmetrical piece that is not visually balanced.  However, there still needs to be some sort of cohesive nature to  make the piece work.  I often like to make pieces that are bold, and unbalanced.  With only a couple components- you don't have much to work with to create flow.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

This large chunky one works, and its one of my favorite pieces.  With only two large focal components, there is still enough flow so that it doesn't look awkward.

www.stacilouiseoriginals.com 

I really encourage you guys to try out some asymmetrical designs.  It is very freeing, once you start to see that they can be balanced, without ever having two of the same bead in the entire piece!

Monday we will be talking about physical balance in a piece to bring your designs home.

Remember to share you progress in our Flickr group!  We'd love to see what you are up to!



Beginner Tips for Asymmetry in your Jewelry Design

Yesterday, Staci introduced our first boot camp for 2014 where we'll discuss asymmetry in your design.

by Barbara Bechtel

Finding the correct balance in a piece may be a difficult thing for some designers but today, I'd like to provide some tips as a springboard for you to think of asymmetry in a new light.

First, let's discuss symmetry and asymmetry. In my opinion, people often think of symmetry as balanced and asymmetry as imbalanced, but this is incorrect. Both aspects, when used in a dynamic and skillful way can lead to balance and this is one of the keys to proper design.

Think of the human face. Generally speaking, our faces are symmetrical. When divided by a center line, they are like halves that make up a hole.

Now if we add in hair, which can be styled in various ways, often parted on one side, we can add an element of asymmetry to the appearance. The balance is not disturbed because design is often taken into account when styling and cutting the hair as a whole. A skilled stylist will take into account the shape of face and head, the volume and natural way a person's hair grows to make a style that could very well be asymmetrical but also balanced.

To me, whenever people seem stumped with coming up with a interesting asymmetrical design, it often appears in necklaces (could have something to do with it being worn on an area of the body that divides the natural symmetry of the human form?)

Rebecca Anderson of Songbead regularly uses beautiful asymmetry in her bracelet designs.

1) Stop thinking of necklaces as necklaces.It always seems natural to design necklaces symmetrically. Part of that has to do with the weight of the necklace being distributed in an even fashion so it wears correctly. Instead, try thinking of your piece not as a necklace, but perhaps as a bracelet. I regularly see more asymmetrical ideas in bracelets that could easily translate into interesting and compelling necklace designs.

An uneven number of these lovely turquoise beads led me to make this design that clasps on the side.

2) Don't design based on a "focal". Rather than beginning a necklace design by selecting a focal element, design from a different part first. Select a beautiful clasp or some beautiful beads you've been struggling to use, and challenge yourself to place them in an area of the necklace you wouldn't ordinarily i.e. putting the clasp on the side or using a interestingly detailed bead in another area first before you think about the main part of the necklace.

This piece started with trying to find a way to use the watchmaker's tin and the section of spoon handle on the left.

Designed as a variation of an example for a tutorial by Lori Anderson,  this piece combines several different sections of  waxed linen combined with lots of tiny elements that create a flowing cohesive asymmetrical design.

3) Focus on using several different connections/methods in one piece. For example, instead of wire wrapping all the elements in a piece, perhaps you will use a combination of rivets and metal links. If you're more of a basic "stringer", think about using more than one type of stringing material in your piece such as a combination of waxed linen and beading wire. This will lead you to design problems that you might have to solve by designing a piece that will take you outside of your symmetrical "zone".

Do you have any favorite tips on asymmetry to share? We'd love to hear them in the comments!