The absence of symmetry in a design gives it the character of variety, which may be defined as a state of inequality in the arrangement of the parts of a design.
In [Fig. 17], neither the horizontal axis nor the vertical axis divides the page so that its units are symmetrically arranged.
Motion
In any arrangement, pictorial or decorative, the eye of the observer is attracted to various parts in succession, depending on their character and position with respect to each other. This quality, called motion, will be more pronounced as the several units tend to lead more definitely from one to another. [Fig. 18] shows the path which the eye follows as it looks at the ornament. In pictorial composition the same quality is employed to emphasize the story to be told or the character of the arrangement used by the painter. Then it is called “line.” This quality of design is not to be confused with “action,” which is the depiction of a figure in motion, as shown in [Fig. 19].
Fig. 18. The diagram shows the motion of the eye as it perceives the
design above. This motion is due to line entirely, not to accents of tone.