A PowerPoint presentation about Unity as one of the Principles of Art and Design.

2. UNITY
• UNITY is the principle of art that is responsible for the harmonious
arrangement of the elements of art within a design and art work.
• UNITY organizes these elements (line, colour, texture, shapes etc.) so that
they can work together to give the composition a sense of ‘oneness’ and
completeness.

3. • UNITY can be expressed in 5 ways:
• Simplicity
• Proximity
• Repetition
• Alignment
• Continuation /continuity

4. 1. SIMPLICITY
• Achieving unity using Simplicity is limiting the use of
multiple art elements (lines, shapes, colour, texture etc.)
in the art work being created.
• Example using a limited colour palette
(monochromatic or analogous
colourscheme); using straight lines that
go in the same direction.
• Simplicity helps to tie in the composition
together to create a sense of ‘oneness’
or unity in the artwork.

5. 2. PROXIMITY
• Proximity unity in Art refers to the grouping of objects,
shapes or figures by placing them close to each other in
a composition.
• The objects, shapes or figures are
seen as a group or unit rather than
separate elements.
• The closeness reduces the amount
of negative space in the composition
and gives a feeling of oneness.

6. 3. REPETITION
• Repetition unity refers to repeating the same elements over
and over to create a sense of oneness or wholeness in an
artwork.
• The repeated elements could be shapes, values, textures, lines
or colour.
• Mostly seen in designs WHEN
CREATING PATTERNS

7. 4. ALIGNMENT
• Alignment in unity refers to the arrangement of shapes or
elements in a way that makes lines or edges of the elements
lead into other elements. This causes the eye to group elements
together which creates a sense of oneness or unity in the art
work.

8. 5. CONTINUATION/CONTINUITY
• Achieving unity through Continuation (or continuity) is done by
using continuing lines, edges, and shapes to connect different
objects or areas to one another, making them “flow” into each
other.
• Lines tend to guide the viewer’s
eye into and throughout the art
work

9. Example of Unity in Art
• This Still life composition is simple, looks cohesive and complete and all the objects
feel connected together.
Paul Cezanne
Still life with apples (1890)
Oil on canvas
35.2 cm x 46.2 cm
Ways used to show Unity in this painting are:
• PROXIMITY: the objects (fruits, plate and jar) are
placed close to each other on the table.
• SIMPLICITY: a limited palette of colours is used.
Red, yellow and green conveys unity.
• REPETITION: similar shapes (circles are used,
even the plate is circular).
• CONTINUITY: the eye moves in an imaginary
line starting at the can on the left and in a circular
motion around the fruits and plate.
• ALIGNMENT: the eye groups the fruits outside
the plate together and leads to the other fruits on
the plate.

10. Ways used to show Unity in this painting are:
• This composition is a brightly coloured painting of black women dancing in church in
a spiritual celebration with the ancestors.
Example of Unity in Art
• PROXIMITY: the women are placed in a juxtaposed position behind
each other.
• SIMPLICITY: the artist uses a limited palette of warm colours
(yellow, red and orange).
• REPETITION: shows more than women dancing in the same
movement in the hands and the hip. Repetition is also in the repeating
of the same colour in the clothing.
• CONTINUITY: the dancing movement of the
bodies is continuous and the positioning of the
heads, shoulders and hands creates a flow from
one person to the next.
Bernard Stanley Hoyes
‘Hip Rhythm’
Oil on canvas
72.2 cm x 101.6 cm
• ALIGNMENT: the feet of the dancing ladies makes
an imaginary curved line which leads back into the
painting to look at the colours and shapes. Also
the positioning of the hands creates movement
through out the art work.

11. RESOURCES
• https://yourartpath.com/what-is-unity-in-art-5-ways-to-use-it-examples
• https://ipoxstudios.com/law-of-continuity-video-gestalt-psychology-for-artists/
• https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/1-the-tub-edgar-degas.jpg
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/272960427385123463/
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_C%C3%A9zanne,_Still_Life_With_Apples,_c._1890.jpg
• https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/explore/artist/Hoyes-Bernard-Stanley-Contemporary-Artist/gallery
• https://causerieblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/2picasso_diptych_524-1.jpg
• https://render.fineartamerica.com/images/images-profile-flow/400/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/blue-
venice-delphimages-photo-creations.jpg
• https://ipoxstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Law-of-continuity-gestalt-psychology-
The_Favorite_Poet_Sir_Lawrence_Alma-Tadema_1888-2.jpg
IMAGE COURTESIES

12. The End