What are the expressive techniques of graphic design?

Common expression techniques in graphic design

Every time you open a magazine with bright layout, jumping colors, fluent words and exquisite design, it will always make people feel nostalgic. Even if you are not interested in words, some beautiful advertisements can attract you. This is the charm of graphic design, which can convey a concept and an idea to those who see it through exquisite composition, layout and color. In fact, as long as you master some graphic design rules and use them flexibly, you can also make wonderful designs. This series of articles will introduce you to more than ten common graphic design techniques, hoping to help you.

I. Basic concepts

(A), graphic design

Graphic design is to combine different basic graphics into patterns on the plane according to certain rules. Mainly in two-dimensional space, the boundary between the map and the ground is divided into contours to describe the image. The sense of space shown by graphic design is not a real three-dimensional space, but an illusion space formed by the visual guidance of graphics.

(2) Graphic design terms:

1. Harmony: In a narrow sense, harmonious graphic design is unity and contrast, and the two are not boring or chaotic. Broadly speaking, when judging the relationship between two or more elements or parts, the feelings and consciousness of each part are a whole coordinated relationship.

2. Contrast: also known as contrast, two elements with great qualitative or quantitative contrast are successfully arranged together, which makes people feel distinct and strong, has a sense of unity, makes the subject more distinct and works more active.

3. Symmetry: suppose a vertical line is set in the center of a graph, and the graph is divided into two equal parts, and the graphs of the left and right parts are completely equal. This is a symmetrical figure.

4. Balance: physically speaking, it refers to the weight relationship; In graphic design, it refers to the balance between distribution function and visual judgment according to the shape, size, weight, color and material of the image.

5. Proportion: refers to the quantitative relationship between parts or parts and the whole. Proportion is an important factor that constitutes the size of all units and the arrangement and combination of units in the design.

6. Center of gravity: The center of the picture is the center of vision. The change of the outline of the picture, the convergence and divergence of graphics, and the distribution of color or light and shade can all affect the visual center.

7. Sense of rhythm: sense of rhythm, with a sense of time, refers to the sense of movement generated when the same element is repeated in the composition design.

8. Rhythm: Simple unit combination and repetition tend to be monotonous in plane composition, and regularly changing images or color groups are arranged in a number ratio and equal proportion, thus generating a sense of melody of music and becoming rhythm.

(C), the elements of graphic design

1. Conceptual elements, the so-called conceptual elements, are those things that don't actually exist and can't be seen, but people's consciousness can feel them. For example, when we see a figure with sharp corners, we feel that there are some points on it and edge lines on the outline of the object. Conceptual elements include: point, line and surface.

2. Visual elements: conceptual elements will be meaningless if they are not reflected in the actual design. Conceptual elements are usually embodied by visual elements, which include the size, shape and color of graphics.

3. Relational elements: How to organize and arrange visual elements on the screen depends on relational elements. Including: direction, position, space, center of gravity, etc.

4. Practical elements: meaning, content, purpose and function of design.

Here is a detailed introduction to the composition of graphic design.

Second, the use of elements.

(A) the composition of points, lines and surfaces

Images are the external features of objects and are visible. Image includes all parts of visual elements, and all conceptual elements, such as points, lines and surfaces, also have their own images when they are seen in the picture.

Basic form in graphic design: in graphic design, it consists of a group of identical or similar images, and each unit becomes a basic form and is the smallest unit. The best composition effect can be obtained by arranging and combining according to certain composition principles.

1. Composition: In composition, due to the basic combination, there is a combination relationship between shapes, which mainly includes:

2. Separation: There is no connection between shapes and there is a certain distance.

3. Contact: The edges between shapes are just tangent.

4. Overlapping: There is an overlapping relationship between shapes, resulting in a spatial relationship of up and down, front and back, left and right.

5 transparent overlap: the transparency between shapes overlaps each other, but it does not produce the spatial relationship between the top and bottom.

6. Combination: Shape and shape are combined with each other to form a larger new shape.

7. subtraction: the shapes cover each other and the covered areas are cut off.

8. Overlapping: The shapes overlap with each other, and new shapes are generated where they overlap.

9. Coincidence: The shapes coincide with each other and become one.

(2) Gradient

Gradient is an effect I often hear about. I can experience it in nature. On the way, we will feel the gradual change of trees from near to far, from big to small.

Gradient type:

1. Shape gradient: one basic shape gradually changes to another, and the basic shape can gradually change from complete to incomplete, or from simple to complex, and from abstract to concrete.

2. Directional gradient: The basic shape can undergo directional gradient on the plane.

3. Gradient position: the gradient position of the basic shape needs a skeleton, because the part beyond the skeleton will be cut off when the basic shape changes position.

4. Gradual change in size: the gradual arrangement of basic shapes from big to small will produce a sense of distance, depth and space.

5. Color gradient: In terms of color, hue, lightness and purity can have a gradient effect, which will produce a layered aesthetic feeling.

6. Bone gradual change: refers to the regular change of bones, which changes the basic shape in shape, size and direction. The lines dividing the skeleton can be graded horizontally, vertically, diagonally, polyline and curve. The careful arrangement of gradual bone lattice will produce special visual effects, and sometimes it will produce wrong visual and motion sense.

(3) Repetition

The general concept of repetition means that the same image appears more than twice in the same design. Repetition is a common technique in design, which is used to enhance the impression, create a regular sense of rhythm and unify the picture. The so-called sameness mainly refers to the sameness in shape, color and size. Basic shape in repetition: the shape used for repetition is called basic shape, and each basic shape is a unit, and then it is designed through repetition. The basic shape is not complicated, but simple.

Repetition type:

1. Repetition of basic form: A picture composed of the same basic form in composition design is called repetition of basic form, which can be seen everywhere in daily life. For example, the windows of tall buildings.

2. Repetitive bone lattice: If the shape and area of each unit of the bone lattice are completely equal, this is a repeated bone lattice, which is a regular bone lattice and the simplest one.

3. Shape repetition: Shape is the most commonly used repeating element, and the repeated shape in the whole composition can change in size, color and so on.

4. Size repetition: Similar or identical shapes are repeated in size.

5. Color repetition: You can change the shape and size under the same color.

6. Repetition of texture: Under the same texture, the size and color can be changed.

7. Repetition of directions: Shapes have obvious and consistent directionality in composition.

(4) Approximation

Approximation refers to the similarity in shape, size, color and texture, which shows vivid changes in unity. The degree of approximation can be large or small, and if it is large, there will be a sense of repetition. A small approximation will destroy unity.

Roughly classified:

1. Shape approximation: If two images belong to the same race, their shapes are similar, just like human images.

2. Skeleton approximation: Skeleton can be approximate, not repeated, that is to say, the shape and size of skeletal cells have certain changes and are approximate.

Note: The difference between approximation and gradient is that the gradient is very regular, the basic shape arrangement is strict, while the approximate change is irregular, and the basic and other visual elements change greatly and are more lively.

(5) skeleton

The skeleton grid determines the relationship between the basic shapes in composition. Sometimes, the skeleton will also become a part of the image, and different changes in the skeleton will change the overall composition.

Bones are divided into:

1. Regular skeleton: Regular skeleton has precise and rigorous skeleton lines, regular numerical relations, and basic shapes are arranged according to the skeleton, which has a strong sense of order. There are mainly bones such as repetition, gradual change and emission.

2. Irregular skeleton: Irregular skeleton generally has no strict skeleton line, and the composition is relatively free.

3. Functional skeleton: Functional skeleton divides the basic form into the boundaries of their respective units, giving the image precise space, and the basic form can freely change its position, direction, plus or minus in the skeleton unit, even beyond the skeleton line.

4. Inactive skeleton: Inactive skeleton is conceptual. Inactive skeleton lines contribute to the arrangement and organization of basic shapes, but do not affect their shapes, nor do they divide the space into relatively independent skeleton units.

5. Duplicate skeleton: It means that the spatial units divided by skeleton lines are exactly the same in shape and size. It is the most regular skeleton, and the basic shapes are arranged in sequence according to the skeleton.

Graphic design is to combine different basic graphics into patterns on the plane according to certain rules. Mainly in two-dimensional space, the boundary between the map and the ground is divided into contours to describe the image. The sense of space shown by graphic design is not a real three-dimensional space, but an illusion space formed by the visual guidance of graphics.

(6) Launch

Emission is a common natural phenomenon, which emits the radiation of the sun. Emission has the regularity of direction, and the emission center is the most important visual focus. All the images are concentrated or scattered from the center, which sometimes causes light movement, explosion and strong visual effects.

Emission classification:

1. Launch from a central point: launch outward or inward from this center.

2. Spiral emission: the basic form of spiral has been carried out in spiral arrangement, and the basic form of spiral gradually expands to form spiral emission.

3. Concentric emission: Concentric emission is a layer-by-layer surrounding emission with the focus as the center, such as the figure of an arrow target.

(7) specificity

Specificity means that the constituent elements intentionally violate the order in the orderly relationship, making a few individual elements stand out and break the regularity.

Specific classification:

1. Specificity of shape: Among many repeated or similar basic shapes, a few special shapes appear, which form a difference contrast and become the visual focus on the screen.

2. Specificity of size: In the composition of the same basic form, only some specific comparisons are made in size, but it should be noted that the specificity of the basic form should be moderate, and the comparison should not be too wide or too similar.

3. Color specificity: in the composition of similar colors, add some contrast components to break the monotony.

4. Specificity of direction: Most basic forms are arranged in sequence with the same direction, and a few basic forms change direction to form special effects.

5. Specificity of texture: In the same texture, different texture changes are caused.

(8)

Contrast is sometimes in form, sometimes in color and texture. Contrast can produce clear, positive and strong visual effects, giving people a deep impression. Nature is full of contrast, and heaven and earth, land and sea, red flowers and green leaves are all comparative phenomena. The relations that make up the contrast include: size, light and shade, sharpness, weight and so on.

Classification of comparison:

1. Comparison of shapes: Although completely different shapes produce certain contrast, we should pay attention to the sense of unity.

2. Size contrast: the contrast formed by the different sizes of shapes and the different lengths of lines in the picture.

3. Color contrast: the contrast of color due to hue, light and shade, shade and warmth.

4. Texture contrast: different textures, such as thickness, smoothness and concave-convex texture.

5. Position contrast: The graphics have different positions in the picture, such as up and down, left and right, high and low.

6. Contrast of the center of gravity: the contrast caused by the stability and instability of the center of gravity and the different sense of the center of gravity.

7. Spatial contrast: the contrast between the front and back in the plane, the bottom of the picture, the distance, and the sense before and after.

8. Contrast between reality and reality: the realistic graphics in the picture are called reality, the space is virtual, and the virtual places are mostly the bottom.

It should be noted that in the application of contrast, a unified sense of integrity is required, and all aspects of visual elements should have a certain general trend, each with its own emphasis and contrast with each other. If we compare ourselves everywhere, we can't emphasize the factors of comparison.

(9) Intensive

Density is a common organizational drawing method in design, and the basic shape can be spread freely in the whole composition, with sparse and dense. The most sparse or dense place often becomes the visual focus of the whole design. It creates a visual tension in the picture, with a sense of rhythm like a magnetic field. Density is also a contrast, using the number of basic shapes to produce the contrast effect of density, virtual reality and tightness.

Dense classification:

1. dense point: In design, a conceptual point is placed at a certain point on the composition, and the basic form tends to be dense at this point in organizational arrangement, and the closer it is to this point, the more sparse it becomes.

2. Line density: There is a conceptual line in the composition, and the basic shape is dense along this line. The densest position on the line, the farther off-line, the more sparse the basic shape.

3. Free density: In composition, the organization of the basic form is completely free and irregular, and there is no constraint on the density of points or lines, and the density of the basic form changes subtly.

4. Crowding and alienation: Crowding is too dense, and all basic forms are in a crowded state in the whole composition, occupying all the space, and there is no sparse place. Alienation is opposite to density. In the whole composition, the basic forms are alienated from each other and scattered in all corners, which can be uniform or uneven.

It should be noted that in the reinforcement effect processing, in order to have the reinforcement effect, the area of the basic shape should be small and the number should be large. The basic shapes can be the same or similar, but there are some changes in size and direction. In dense composition, it is important that the dense structure of basic modeling must have a tendency of tension and dynamics, and the structure cannot be scattered.

(10) texture

Texture, also known as texture, is a rough, smooth and soft feeling caused by different materials and different arrangement, organization and structure of the surface.

How to create a texture:

1. Changes of brush strokes: Different texture effects are depicted through different arrangements of thick and thin strokes, soft and hard strokes and light and heavy strokes.

2. Printing and extension: The uneven surface carved with ink or pigment and naturally formed, and then printed on the map, will form a quaint rubbing texture.

3. Spray painting: After the dissolved pigment is brushed with a spray pen, a metal mesh or a toothbrush, the pigment is sprayed on the paper like a mist.

4. Dyeing: The surface with strong water absorption can be infected by rendering with liquid pigment, and the pigment will naturally disperse on the surface, resulting in a natural and beautiful texture effect.

5. Paper: Different kinds of paper are different in thickness, texture and structure due to different processing materials, or artificially wrinkled, resulting in special texture effects.

(1 1) space

By space, we generally mean two-dimensional space. There are several ways to express a sense of space:

1. Use size to express the sense of space: things of the same size have a sense of size due to different distances, and the near ones are big and the far ones are small. On the plane, we feel close when the area is large, and far when the area is small.

2. Use overlapping expression: when one shape is superimposed on another shape on the plane, there will be a sense of up and down, resulting in a sense of space.

3. Use shadows to express: The distinction between shadows will give objects a three-dimensional sense and a sense of concavity and convexity.

4. Use the expression of spacing density: small images or changes in line density can produce a sense of space. In reality, it is like a curtain with a little pattern. When it is rolled up, the pattern will become dense, and the interval is very small. The denser it is, the farther it feels.

5. Use the direction change of parallel lines to explain that changing the direction of parallel lines will produce a three-dimensional effect.

6. Color change to show: use the change of color, the cold color is far away and the warm color is near.

7. Expression of texture change: The rough surface makes people feel close, while the detailed surface makes people feel far away.

8. contradiction space's performance: The so-called contradiction space cannot exist in real space, but only in hypothetical space.

Graphic design is to combine different basic graphics into patterns on the plane according to certain rules. Mainly in two-dimensional space, the boundary between the map and the ground is divided into contours to describe the image. The sense of space shown by graphic design is not a real three-dimensional space, but an illusion space formed by the visual guidance of graphics.

(12) diagram and bottom

There is a relationship between the picture and the bottom, which is produced by contrast and contrast. In nature, blue sky and white clouds, red flowers and green leaves all reflect the relationship between contrast and contrast. In graphic design, the relationship between the diagram and the bottom is inseparable, sometimes upside down.

The application of graph and bottom in design;

1. Graphic sense with high color brightness.

2. The convex image in the concave-convex change has positive significance.

3. In the comparison of area size, the small one has a graphic feeling.

4. The shape enclosed in space is a figure.

5. In static and dynamic, dynamic has a graphic feeling.

6. Between abstraction and concreteness, concreteness has a sense of image.

7. In geometric patterns, the bottom of the picture can be determined according to the contrast relationship. The greater the contrast, the easier it is to distinguish between the picture and the bottom.

Bottom inversion: Sometimes the features at the bottom of the picture are very similar and difficult to distinguish. This is the inversion of the bottom of the graph. (13) Breaking up

Split is a composition method of decomposition and combination, that is, a complete thing is divided into parts and then reassembled according to certain composition principles. This method is helpful to grasp the internal structure and characteristics of things, observe and dissect things from different angles, extract abstract components from a specific form, and combine these abstract components into new forms to produce new aesthetic feeling.

(14) rhythm

The expression of rhythm is one of the ways to express dynamics. When the same element appears periodically, it will form a sense of movement, which is a kind of psychological activity of people. The performance of rhythm is that the picture is full of vitality. How is it formed?

1. One-dimensional rhythm performance: the repetition of basic forms in a single direction is called one-dimensional rhythm. At this time, if the interval of the basic shape is the same, the rhythm changes will be less, for example, the price of the basic shape is different, which will produce a complex sense of rhythm.

2. Representation of the second-dimensional rhythm: The repeated movement of the disk in the up, down, left and right directions like Go is called the second-dimensional rhythm, and the basic shape can be equally spaced or have certain changes.

3. Use gradient to express rhythm: according to the change of mathematical laws, rhythm is generated, and the change of mathematical proportion is regular, which can make the gradient have a sense of rhythm.

(15) subdivision

In plane composition, dividing the whole into parts is called segmentation. In daily life, this phenomenon can be seen at any time, for example, the ceiling and floor of a house constitute a division. The following are several common segmentation methods:

1. isomorphic segmentation: the shapes are required to be exactly the same, and it will have a good effect to select the segmentation line after segmentation.

2. Free division: Free division is irregular. The method of dividing the picture freely is different from the neat effect produced by mathematical rules, but its random division gives people a lively and unrestrained feeling.

3. Proportion and order: The composition completed in proportion usually has the characteristics of order and clarity, giving people a sense of freshness. Separation gives certain laws, such as golden section, order and so on.

(16) equilibrium

In modeling, balance is very important. Because of the visual satisfaction brought by balance, people's eyes can have a sense of balance and stability when observing objects.

Balance is mainly divided into:

1. Symmetrical balance: for example, people and butterflies, some shapes that are symmetrical around the central axis.

2. Asymmetric balance: Although there is no central axis, it is not symmetrical, but it has a very correct sense of balance.

(17) Various arrangements of basic tables

The basic form is the most basic unit element in a composition. In the process of clustering unit elements, there may be countless combinations. In order to make the composition change not messy, the basic form is preferably geometrically simple.

The basic table arrangement principle:

1. Arrangement of basic lines and accessories: The arrangement develops horizontally and becomes a current graphic with strong directionality. It can develop horizontally or diagonally.

2. Plane arrangement: The basic shapes are arranged in the secondary direction to form a plane figure.

3. Circular arrangement: the basic linear arrangement is developed into a curve connecting the two ends.

4. Radial arrangement: the basic shapes are arranged outward from the center to form a radial pattern.

5. Symmetrical arrangement: the basic shapes are symmetrically arranged left and right, and the arrangement is regular and neat.