Art Course

The Principles of Good Design

Discover the nine principles of good design behind every great painting and composition – the foundation for this self-taught art course.

Learn how visual balance – symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial – holds a composition together, with practical tips for self-taught artists.

Movement is the path the eye follows through a painting. Learn how contrast, line and implied action guide the viewer's gaze.

Repetition and rhythm give a painting its visual pulse. Learn how recurring colours, shapes and lines create flow and unity.

Emphasis creates a focal point that draws the eye and anchors a composition. Learn how to create – and restrain – it effectively.

Simplicity – or visual economy – means leaving out anything that doesn't serve the composition. Learn why less is so often more in painting.

Contrast is what catches the eye and keeps a painting interesting. Learn the many forms contrast can take – and how much is enough.

Proportion governs how the sizes and quantities within a painting relate to one another – and it's often invisible until it goes wrong.

Space is more than what's left over. Learn how positive and negative space, and the tools of depth, shape every composition.

Unity is what makes a painting feel whole rather than assembled. The final lesson ties together everything covered in this course.