VGD MODULE

Lesson 2

Red: Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression,
danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, sincerity, happiness (Only
in Japan)

Pink: symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.

Beige and ivory: symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige
symbolizes calm and simplicity.

Yellow signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine,
summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness,
hazard and friendship.
Dark Blue: Symbolizes integrity, knowledge, power, and seriousness.

Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence,
conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite
suppressant.

Turquoise symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water.

Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.

Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom,

enlightenment, cruelty, honor, arrogance, mourning, temperance.

Lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance.

Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of

attention.

Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility,
jealousy, service, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.

Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and
comfort.

Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative,
practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.

White: Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence,
youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures),
cold, clinical.

Black: Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil,
unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical
color, mourning, death (Western cultures), austerity, detachment.
1. BALANCE – Balance in design is similar to balance in physics. A large shape close to the center can
be balanced by a small shape close to the edge. Balance provides stability and structure to a design.
It’s the weight distributed in the design by the placement of your elements.
2. PROXIMITY – Proximity creates relationship between elements. It provides a focal point. Proximity
doesn’t mean that elements have to be placed together; it means they should be visually connected
in some way.
3. ALIGNMENT – Allows us to create order and organization. Aligning elements allows them to create a
visual connection with each other.
4. REPETITION – Repetition strengthens a design by tying together individual elements. It helps to
create association and consistency. Repetition can create rhythm (a feeling of organized movement).
5. CONTRAST – Contrast is the juxtaposition of opposing elements (opposite colors on the color wheel,
or value light / dark, or direction – horizontal / vertical). Contrast allows us to emphasize or highlight
key elements in your design.
6. SPACE – Space in art refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within
elements. Both positive and negative space are important factors to be considered in every design
 The elements of design
 LINE – The linear marks made with a pen or brush or the edge created when two shapes meet.
 SHAPE – A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric (squares and circles), or organic
(free formed shapes or natural shapes). A positive shape automatically creates a negative shape.

 DIRECTION – All lines have direction – Horizontal, Vertical or Oblique. Horizontal suggests
calmness, stability and tranquility. Vertical gives a feeling of balance, formality and alertness. Oblique
suggests movement and action
 SIZE – Size is simply the relationship of the area occupied by one shape to that of another.
 TEXTURE – Texture is the surface quality of a shape – rough, smooth, soft hard glossy etc.
 COLOUR – Color is light reflected off objects. Color has three main characteristics: hue or its name
(red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or dark it is), and intensity (how bright or dull it is).