Picture This

When we see similar shapes in a picture—or in life—we relate those shapes to each other: they seem to belong together.

The edges and corners of the picture are the edges and corners of the picture-world.

In an asymmetrical frame, diagonals give a sense of depth.

Color's effect on us is very strong—stronger than that of other picture elements.

We see shapes in context, and our reactions to them depend in large part on that context.

We associate the same or similar colors much more strongly than we associate the same or similar shapes.

Each of the principles appears quite clear when it is considered individually, but each picture we see uses a combination of principles, which makes the interactions of the parts and the overall effect more complex.

Mountains, slides, waves: all of these are diagonals in movement or in tension.

The larger an object is in a picture, the stronger it feels.