Unit 2: Unity

The most important principle of design a piece of artwork should possess is unity. Unity is how every aspect within the artwork complements each other. It is how everything comes together as a whole. To have unity, the elements within the artwork must be harmonious and equal. Unity can be achieved in a plethora of ways. The use of a specific color throughout a portrait could be used to unify the artwork. The use of the same kinds of lines, either curvilinear (curvy lines) or rectilinear (straight lines) could be used to unify the artwork. There are two types of unity when dealing with art: visual and conceptual. Visual unity is unity that is created by use of visual elements. Conceptual unity is artwork that has a common theme or concept throughout it. For example, the picture below achieves both visual and conceptual unity. It achieves visual unity by using rectilinear lines and squares throughout the composition. It achieves conceptual unity by displaying different parts of the human body within the squares throughout the composition. Also, the use of the colors gray, white, and black tie the image together. Unity is essential to ensuring that the composition can be viewed and understood in the way the artist wants the viewer to see and understand it.