Design Translation · 2006

Three Squares

Three squares on a plane, and suddenly you're dealing with space, depth, and dimension. The exercise sounds simple, but the nuances are endless. Distance between elements on the surface. Depth through overlapping spatial planes. Dimension from objects that occupy and define space.

Exercise
Three squares on a plane
Studies
Placement, Scale, Value, Static, Dynamic
Date
2006/10/13
Three black diamonds on white paper, stepping from the upper left to the lower right

Placement

Placement alone can define space.

Positioning and interval create the illusion.

Three black diamonds on white paper at the lower left, two meeting at their corners with one cut by the left edge, the third below them

Scale

Three squares at different sizes.

Three black squares on white paper, a tiny one at the top left, a medium one, and a large one touching the medium one at its corner
Black squares on white paper, a large diamond at the lower right and two tiny squares touching at the upper left

Value

Three squares in different values.

Three overlapping squares in black, dark grey and light grey, with a pencil sketch of a circle and arrow at the upper left
Squares stepping up and to the right on white paper, from black and dark grey at the lower left to mid grey and light grey

A simple exercise that reveals dynamic and static relationships. The edges of the picture plane are part of the composition. It's not just how the squares relate to the edges, but how the squares themselves organize, either dynamic or static.

Static

Squares set evenly against the edges.

Three black squares on white paper, one in the center and two cut off by the top right and bottom left corners
Three black squares on white paper, two cut off by the right edge at top and bottom and one cut off by the left edge in the middle
Three black squares in an even row across white paper, with a short pencil line above them
Three black squares in a row, the outer two cut by the left and right edges, with a pencil arrow pointing down at the middle one

Dynamic

Squares tilted and pushed toward the edges.

Two black squares tilted and joined as a rectangle at the lower left, a third square cut by the right edge, and two short pencil lines above
Two black squares tilted and joined as a rectangle at the lower left and a third square cut by the right edge, with a pencil line below
Two tilted black squares at the left and a third at the right edge, joined by thin pencil curves, with a pencil scribble above
Three black diamonds pushed into the corners of white paper, one at the upper right and two at the lower left
Three black diamonds stepping from the lower left toward the upper right of white paper

Tension

Tension is a very important design tool that has numerous interpretations.

An old painter once described tension as something very important between two points where nothing exists.

Tension exists in color, drawing, and the relationship of shapes, which is extremely important in any kind of composition – typographic or otherwise. Tension is a principle that is adapted for numerous effects or purposes. The following exercise will introduce students to tension.

Three black squares overlapping at the lower left of white paper, with a small black dot near the top
The same arrangement of three black squares and a dot, redrawn in black with a red dot
Three black squares overlapping at the lower left, a black dot at the top right, and two short pencil lines between
Three black squares and a red dot at the top right, with a small red mark on the squares, redrawn from the previous study
Three black squares at the lower left, two overlapping, with a black dot at the top right and a pencil scribble above them
Three black squares at the lower left, one overlapping another, with a black dot at the top
Three black squares at the lower left, two overlapping, with a black dot at the top
Three overlapping black squares at the lower left, a black dot at the top right, a second dot at the lower left, and three pencil curves above
The same arrangement of three black squares and two dots, redrawn in black with red dots

Closing

Three squares sound simple, but the nuances are endless.

2006/10/13

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