117. What is done, in every case, depends upon the designer who does it. He follows the suggestions of his imagination, not, however, with perfect license. The imagination acts within definite limitations, limitations of terms and of principles, limitations of certain modes in which terms and principles are united. In spite of these limitations, however, if we give the same terms, the same principles, and the same modes to different people, they will produce very different results. Individuality expresses itself in spite of the limitation of terms and modes, and the work of one man will be very different from the work of another, inevitably. We may have Order, Harmony, Balance, or Rhythm in all cases, Beauty only in one case, perhaps in no case. It must be remembered how, in the practice of Pure Design, we aim at Order and hope for Beauty. Beauty is found only in supreme instances of Order, intuitively felt, instinctively appreciated. The end of the practice of Pure Design is found in the love of the Beautiful, rather than in the production of beautiful things. Beautiful things are produced, not by the practice of Pure Design, but out of the love of the Beautiful which may be developed by the practice.
AREAS
118. I have already considered the measures of areas, in discussing the interior dimensions of outlines, and in discussing the outlines themselves I have considered the shapes of areas. It remains for me to discuss the tones in which the areas may be drawn and the tone-contrasts by which they may be distinguished and defined—in their positions, measures, and shapes.
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:—