LINEAR AREAS
119. Before proceeding, however, to the subject of tones and tone-relations, I must speak of a peculiar type of area which is produced by increasing or diminishing the width of a line. I have postponed the discussion of measures of width in lines until now.
A line may change its width in certain parts or passages. It may become wider or narrower as the case may be. The wider it is the more it is like an area. If it is sufficiently wide, the line ceases to be a line, and becomes an area. The line may change its width abruptly or gradually. The effect of the line is by these changes indefinitely varied. The line of Design is not the line of Geometry.
120. Considerable interest may be given to what I have called Linear Progressions by changing the width of the line at certain points, in certain passages, and more or less abruptly. The changes will be like accents in the line, giving variety and, possibly, an added interest.
Fig. 218
Let us take this line as the motive of a linear progression. We can give it a different character, perhaps a more interesting character, by widening all the vertical passages, as follows:—
Fig. 219
This is what we get for a motive by widening all the vertical passages.
Fig. 220
This is what we get for a motive by widening all the horizontal passages.
Fig. 221
Compare this Progression, in which I have used the motive of [Fig. 219], with that of [Fig. 77, p. 47]. The accents, which in [Fig. 221] occur in every repetition of the motive, might occur only in certain repetitions, at certain intervals.
Fig. 222
It is not necessary that the changes in the width of the line be abrupt, as in the examples just given. The width of the line may increase or diminish gradually, in which case we may have, not only accents in the line, but movements due to gradations of dimension, to convergences, or to an increase or gradual crowding together of attractions in a series of visual angles.
Fig. 223
In this case we have a gradual increase followed by a diminution of the width of the line in certain parts, and these changes occur at equal intervals. A certain amount of rhythmic movement is given to the progression by such accents, provided the direction of movement is unmistakable, which it is not in this case. It is not at all clear whether the movement is down-to-the-right or up-to-the-left. It seems to me about as easy to move in one direction as in the other.
Fig. 224
In this case there is less doubt about the movement. It seems to be down-to-the-right. The eye is pulled through an increase of width-measures toward a greater extension and crowding together of contrasting edges.
Fig. 225
Substituting outlines for areas in the previous illustration, we are surprised, perhaps, to find that the movement is reversed. We go up-to-the-left in this case, not down-to-the-right. The pull of a greater extension of tone-contrast in a given area was, in [Fig. 224], sufficient to overcome the pull of a less evident convergence in the other direction.
By increasing or diminishing the width of lines, doing it gradually or abruptly, we are able to control the movement of the eye to an indefinite extent. This is one of the important resources of the designer’s art. Its use is not limited to forms of Linear Progression, but may be extended to all forms of Design in which lines are used.
Fig. 226
In this case, for example, the eye follows the direction of convergences, but we can easily force it to turn and move in the opposite direction, by widening the lines in that direction, thus increasing the extent of contrasting edge until it more than outbalances the convergences; as in the following illustration:—
Fig. 227
THE ARRANGEMENT AND COMPOSITION
OF AREAS
121. What has been said about the composition of Lines and Outlines applies equally well to the composition of Areas, so far as they are distinguished and defined by outlines. We will now proceed to consider areas as distinguished and defined, not by outlines, but by tone-contrasts. The composition of lines and outlines is one thing, the composition of tones in different positions, measures, and shapes is another. In putting lines and outlines together we draw. The point of view is that of drawing. In putting tones in different positions, measures, and shapes we paint. The point of view is that of the painting.