Objectives

• To learn principles of floral design• To become familiar with elements of floral

design• To recognize floral design forms

2

Principles of Floral Design

• Have you ever placed flowers randomly in a vase?

• How did it compare to an arrangement from a florist?

• How does a floral designer create a theme or mood with flowers?

3

Principles of Floral Design

• Establish guidelines governing placement of flowers

• Involve relationships among all parts of design

• Guide arranger in creating a work of art

4

Principles & Elements

• Principles and Elements of Design apply to all art forms

• Elements are the components that make up the design

• Principles describe the way the elements fit together

• Principles are the recipe; elements are the ingredients

5

Principles

• Effective designs incorporate:– rhythm– balance– emphasis– proportion– unity– harmony

6

Balance

• Arrangement should demonstrate mechanical and visual stability

• May be symmetrical or asymmetrical

7

Balance

• Mechanical balance• Container is proper size

and weight for the flowers

• Lines converge at focal point

8

Balance

• Visual balance affected by color, texture and size

• Darker colors appear heavier• Larger flowers appear heavier and should

be closer to the focal point

9

Emphasis

• Create a focal point or accented area• Center of interest draws the eye of the

viewer• Use color, size or unique shape to create

focal point

10

Proportion & Scale

• Pleasing size relationships among all components of design and surrounding area

• Proper proportion of flowers to container• Tall container 1.5 to 2 times the height of

vase• Low, flat container –

1.5 to 2 times the width of container

11

Proportion & Scale

• Proper proportion of flowers to foliage and to each other

• Pleasing proportion is achieved by locating larger flowers at the focal point and placing gradually smaller flowers away from the center of interest

12

Proportion & Scale

• Arrangement must fit with its surroundings• A small arrangement on the stage of an

auditorium would appear insignificant

13

Rhythm

• Flow of lines, textures or colors that create a feeling of motion

• Draws the observer through a visual path of the design

• Achieved by repetition, radiation and transition

14

Unity

• All components blend together without separation

• Achieved by repetition of related components

15

Harmony

• All components of the design fit together in an aesthetically pleasing composition

16

Elements of Floral Design

• Line• Texture• Form• Color

17

Line

• Provides a visual path for the eye

• Establishes framework of the design

• Lines can reflect certain emotional qualities– vertical lines evoke strength– curved lines are graceful, gentle– horizontal lines are relaxing

18

Texture

• Refers to the surfaces of flowers and foliage:– smooth– rough– glossy

• Coarse textures are bold and may be used to create a focal point

• Fine textures are placed further from the focal point or as filler material

19

Form

• Shapes of flowers, foliage and containers• Geometric shape of the overall design

20

Examples of Design Forms

21

Color

• Primary colors: red, yellow, blue

• Secondary colors (two primary colors combined in equal amounts): green, violet, orange

• Tertiary colors: primary color and adjacent secondary color

• Neutral colors: black, white, gray

22

Design Types

• Line designs– lines emphasized over form– characterized by openness and negative

space• Mass designs

– utilizes a quantity of material with little or no negative space

• Line-mass– linear designs enhanced with additional

material – both line and mass are important but neither

dominate 23

Principles

• To create pleasing and effective floral designs:– have a working knowledge of the principles of

design– know how to work with the elements of design– be familiar with the basic types and forms of

floral designs

24

ASSESSMENT

Assessment

1. Which of the following design principles draws the observer through a visual path of the design?

A. UnityB. RhythmC. Proportion/ScaleD. Emphasis

 2. Floral arrangements do NOT need mechanical stability, only

visual stability.A. TrueB. False

 

26

Assessment

3. Smaller flowers should be placed at the focal point as the center of interest.

A. TrueB. False

4. Flow of lines, textures or colors create a feeling of motion.

A. TrueB. False

 

27

Assessment

5. Which of the following is NOT one of the four elements of design?

A. LineB. ColorC. TextureD. Size

 6. Which of the following design principles is achieved by

repetition of related components?A. UnityB. RhythmC. Proportion/ScaleD. Emphasis

 

28

Assessment

7. For a tall container, the arrangement should be how many times the height of the container?

A. 1.5 to 2 timesB. 1.75 to 2 timesC. 1.75 to 2.25 timesD. 2 to 2.5 times

 8. Which of the following terms describe when all components of

the design fit together in an aesthetically pleasing composition?

A. HarmonyB. SynchronizationC. BalanceD. Conformation

 29

Assessment

9. Which of the following are designs characterized by openness and negative space?

A. Mass designsB. Line designsC. Line-mass designsD. Tertiary designs

 10. Which of the following is NOT a secondary color?

A. YellowB. GreenC. VioletD. Orange

 

30

Acknowledgement

31

Executive ProducerGordon W. Davis, Ph.D.

Production CoordinatorSandra Balch

Graphic DesignerMelody Rowell

Technical WriterJessica Odom

V.P. of Brand ManagementClayton Franklin

© MMXIVCEV Multimedia, Ltd.