This Design presentation has been donated by member Carol Lynn Stratton for the educational use of EGA Chapters and members. Click each photo for a closer look. While descriptions for each slide can be seen below each photo, you can download a PDF of the slide descriptions by clicking here to assist you when presenting to a chapter or region. To request this presentation in a different format, please contact us! Visit our Slideshows & Presentations page to see what else is available!
An outline of this presentation is also available, download it by clicking here.
Note: unless otherwise credited, all images were created and photographed by Carol Lynn Stratton.
1 – Design
2 – Woodland path. ]
What is design?
“Design is everything.”–William Merritt Chase
“Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose. “ –Charles Eames
3 – Liquid Gold,
“Design may be the logical solution to a problem, but it’s never a formula. Design grows out of clarity of purpose.”–Millard Sheets
4. Poppies in a red vase. “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”–Steve Jobs
“Design is the arrangement of visual elements in space.”–Steven Aimone
5 – Purpose of Design – Application
6. Narrative: [telling a story]. Use a design to tell a story. Water to Wine illustrates the biblical story of Jesus turning water to wine. It is well known enough to be instantly recognizable without explanation.
7. Descriptive: Griffin Falls uses design to describe a place without words.
8. Emotive: [to evoke a mood or convey a feeling]. Grand Girls evokes the lightness and joy of childhood. Also the energy and whirl-wind activity of kids is shown thru the background elements.
9. Utilitarian: [practical for its easy use]. Utilitarian apron and face mask, the sign of our times during the pandemic.
10. Decorative: Fandango .It is just a pretty arrangement of shape and color.
11 – Elements of Design – Line
12. A line is the history of the movement of a point over time. A line isolates areas from the surroundings to form shapes. Ball.
Line is used to create many elements of design: shape, size, direction or movement, rhythm, depth, value, and mood.
13 – Shape. Shopper. A simple line can denote horizon, ground or a sense of movement. A line can be used to create an edge. Lines, though unconnected can convey a sense of shape like the bag or the woman’s body. Since we are accustomed to the shape of a department store shopping bag or a woman’s body, a part of the shape connotes the whole. We don’t need to see the other arm to know it’s there.
Size is relative. The purse and bag are relatively the correct size in proportion to the size of the body so everything fits in the world of the piece. The decoration on the dress increases in size down the skirt. The repetition of the object allows the viewer to make a size comparison. Knowing the stance for a walking figure and seeing the motion lines behind the figure gives a sense of direction and movement in the figure. The impression of texture is most prominent in the hair, which looks tightly curled.
14 – Size. Cubes. A repeated from, with proportionally the same shape but differing dimensions, will result in a comparison of perceived size.
15 – Direction or movement: Drop. A stitch that illustrates a known object or theory can produce a sense of movement or direction. A droplet must fall. By turning the lazy daisy stitch around, the movement appears to reverse direction because we know a droplet, when it hits a body of water, spatters small droplets upward and creates ripples that radiate outward from the point of impact. Here you have the perceived illusion of movement of the drop and the outward waves of water. Our minds interpret the shape of the water droplet and thus the direction of the falling drop and the reacting droplets from the last drop.
16 – Rhythm. A line repeated creates a rhythm to the work. Like the water ripples above, the repeated lines in Pond Reflections create interest and unity.
17 – Depth. Line can be used to create depth.
Convergence. The lines of the road and woods converging on a point somewhere in or beyond the image; gives the perception of a horizon far away. Snowy Lane
18 – Tenacity [by Pat Goaley]
19. Value changes with a change in the direction of a stitch. Direction. The threads that make up a stitch or fabric contain fiber ends and a twist that influence the reflectance of light and the direction of the reflected light. The nap of corduroy or
velvet are good examples. The direction of those fibers to the eye of the viewer determines the amount of reflected light perceived by the viewer. To maximize this effect one can lay the fibers parallel to the viewer and then perpendicular to the viewer. By changing the direction of the stitch the direction of the reflected light will either go to the viewer’s eye or not, giving a lighter or darker perceived value to the stitch.
20. Value changes with a change in the texture of a stitch. Chop. A smooth, uniform surface reflects light in a uniform way making the surface appear light if the viewer is in line with the reflectance. As the surface is broken up the amount of light reflected to the viewer changes–not all the light is reflected uniformly anymore. The more the surface is broken up or textured, the darker it will appear in value because the more scattered the light reflectance.
21 – Value changes with a change in the reflective quality of a stitch. Loop. A long uniform surface will reflect the most light in a given direction. The more surfaces and/or directions exposed to light will change the perceived value of the surface. The reflected light will bounce off in more directions and hit other surfaces reducing the amount of light received by the eye. The light is deflected in more directions by the loops and absorbed into the surface of stitches in the cut ends making these sections progressively different in value.
22 – Mood. Line can contribute to a mood or feeling of lightness/ joy or sorrow/darkness. The lines create the definition of a forlorn, desolate place and the endless, hopeless feeling of the storm; almost scary. A Dark and Stormy Night.
23 – With Joy the lines of the silhouette give a lightness and joyfulness of the dancer.
24 – Texture created by imagined rough surfaces. Again the mind equates perceived form with known facts: a surface with a lined surface is ribbed, not smooth.
25 – Actual texture. The shaggy mane is an actual abundance of loose threads, fabric strips and yarns making a rather realistic matted mane. Lion head
26 – Implied texture. Here the stitches and beads imply sharp thorns of the cactus.
Homage to Georgia O’Keeffe
27 – Becomes a pattern. The texture of the sequins, bugle beads and stitching defines the circles of similar yet different shapes. The circles become the basic pattern of the piece. Spring Fling
28 – Adds weight or emphasis. The different textures of the various trees and shrubs emphasize the different areas within the piece. Your eye starts in the center and radiates up and then forward. The tree trunks are heavily textured as bark while the leaves are almost individually distinct. The fallen leaves have become a mat of colors with no individuality at all. Falls first color
29 – Subject The wood texture makes the gate real aged wood; it becomes the subject or what the piece is all about. Contrast the wood to the stucco and wire and gravel around the gate. The Old Gate
30 – Faith Under the Microscope The actual pieces of fabric seem to be growing out of the piece. There are so many that it is hard to look at only one. Many have words on the fabric pieces. It is only when you come toward the middle that you can more easily make out the words. The textured areas symbolize the frenetic problems of our lives and only when you become calmer you may actually reach the calm center of self.
31 – Econ 101 –
Balance: where the elements are placed and why
Do you want something pleasing or uncomfortable? There are many systems to help place an object in a more favorable position in the composition. There are mathematical proportions that form lines within a work. Objects placed at one of the intersections make good focal points.
32 – Top vs. bottom 8643 top/bottom Which one do you like better?
Items placed at the top are noticed first. The object looks like it could move or fall; it is active while an object at the bottom of a space is grounded [supported] and at rest. It’s not going anywhere so is less noticeable.
33 – Left vs. right 8642 left/right
Elements place at the top or the left are notice first by Americans because we read from top left to right.
34 – Upper left vs. bottom right Evergreen
From what we’ve learned from the above, objects place in the top and on the left are most prominent than those place on the right bottom. We tend to pause and rest at the lower right. These two working together can be a focal point and an element of balance in the design.
35 – Center—powerful but static Weeds in Winter
36 – Near center – Spring at Winterthur
Near center is the most comfortable placement in a design. It makes a good focal point yet creates tensions that the eye can follow to other areas in the space. The branches of the tree beckons the eye to follow to another area. The negative space on the right balances the weight of the tree and the daffodils underneath.
37 – Creating Depth: [thru the use of overlap, transparency, and contrast]
38 – Overlapping objects bring the top ones nearer to the viewer and the others further away. Photo Finish
39 – Transparency. Looking thru a transparent layer makes the objects behind that layer look farther away.
Transparency makes the green man appear to be hiding in the bushes. The Green Man.
40 – Contrast. Contrast can be made with many different principles: scale, activity, hardness of edge, colors. [The first ones tend to come forward while the second ones fade into the background producing a sense of depth.]
41 – *Contrast of scale—large vs. small Fall Trees – Larger objects appear closer
42 – *Contrast of active vs. passive – Frog’s Dinner Time – A frog jumping after a fly will be seen as more prominent than the resting frog on the water lily just looking at a bug.
43 – *Contrast of hard edge vs. soft edge – Autumn Pond – A hard edge is more distinctive to the eye bringing the object to the attention of the viewer sooner than a soft edged object. The tree to the right is more in the foreground than the tree to the left.
*Contrast of pure vs. dull colors Autumn Pond
However, the leaves on the tree to the left are in purer, warmer color hues than the leaves on the tree to the right and so fight for prominence. At first glance the left tree seems more in the foreground until you notice the trunk and realize it cannot be closer than the tree to the right. The piece would be more effective if the tree on the right had bright red, orange and yellow hard edge leaves and the tree on the left had soft edged dull colored leaves.
44 – *Contrast of warm vs. cool colors October Snow – The leaves here are in warm reds contrasting with the blue-white snow. The trees dominate while the snow recedes
45 – Positive and negative space used thoughtfully.
46 – The various levels of dimension create interest while the negative space in the upper left gives the eye a place to rest and process the different parts of the leaves.
Hanging on
47 – Unity: Relate, Repeat, Rythm
48 – Relate: all parts visually relate with adequate negative space. The dark mottled background makes a sharp contrast to the bright yellow roses. The rose on the table continues the theme. There is negative space between and around the motifs. Yellow Roses
49 – Repetition of motifs: the trees are similar in size and shape in rows suggesting more beyond the edges of the piece. The Orchard
50 – Rhythm: the eye moves easily from one area of the design to another. Nothing stands out individually yet there is plenty of movement for your eyes to follow. Mystery Quilt
51 – Emphasis is an identifiable center of interest—the first thing you see: the focal point.
52 – Focal Point – Bella is the largest object, contrasting with the background and active. Cute too! Your eye immediately goes to her.
Barefoot Bella
53 – Highlighted focal point through design elements – Being the largest object in the piece highlights the focal point. It seems more active, with warmer, purer colors. The large sequin in the center has a hard edge.
All of which pull the viewer’s eye to that object first. Starburst
54 – Proportion – Proportion is the size of part of an object in relationship to other parts of the same object.
55 – That bunny could not possibly hold up those ears. They are far too large for the size of the bunny. I’m reminded of the huge dinosaur with the tiny forearms. It just seems out of proportion. Bunny
56 – Scale is the relationship of one object to the other objects in a design. The mouse [even a rat] is not in the same scale as the bike rider.
57 – Oak Island – The house is a large object yet it is in the background. The dunes are large with large grasses. They are in front of and overlapping the house bringing them to the foreground. Finally the water is lapping up onto the beach at the edge of scene.
Because of the placement of the objects the scale seems normal but pushing what we consider normal. It makes you uncomfortable. If there were recognizable shells along the beach it would throw off the scale.
58 – Along the Riverbank – Along the Riverbank has a large tree in the left foreground and a heron flying to the right. Both are of a size that is consistent with our knowledge of what they should look like. The tree is the biggest object in the scene and the heron is a proper size for the scene and where it is in the scene. The scale is correct.
59 – Time to STITCH or THE END!
Join the needlework network.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay on top of things.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy.
EGA Headquarters has moved to 501 Baxter Avenue, Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40204. Please update your records accordingly. Dismiss
