Grade by Grade
B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual Arts

Visual Arts: Balance

D1.2 D1.3 D2.2About 50 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can explain what balance means in an art work.
  • I can identify and create symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial balance.
  • I can use vertical and horizontal symmetry.
  • I can balance an asymmetrical composition using visual weight.
  • I can plan an art work on a theme and explain how I balanced it.

Words to know

balance
The arrangement of the elements of design so that the parts of an art work seem equal in weight or importance. Grade 6's principle of design.
symmetrical balance
Balance where one side is a mirror image of the other. Also called formal balance.
asymmetrical balance
Balance where the two sides are different but still feel equal in visual weight. Also called informal balance.
radial balance
Balance where parts spread out evenly from a centre point, like spokes on a wheel.
visual weight
How much a part of an art work pulls your attention, so it feels "heavy" or "light."
axis
An imaginary line through an art work, used to compare the two sides.
vertical symmetry
Mirror symmetry across an up-and-down axis: the left matches the right.
horizontal symmetry
Mirror symmetry across a side-to-side axis: the top matches the bottom.

Remember from earlier grades

Each year you study one principle of design closely: emphasis in Grade 4 and proportion in Grade 5. In Grade 4 you also made designs with radial symmetry, and in Grade 5 you used symmetrical and asymmetrical letters and images on a poster.

This year's principle of design is balance: arranging the parts of an art work so that it feels steady, with no side "tipping over."

The seesaw test

Picture a seesaw at the park. Two kids of the same size sit at each end: it balances. Now a big kid sits on one end and a small kid on the other. Tipped! But if the big kid slides closer to the middle, it balances again.

Pictures work the same way. Every part has visual weight. If one side of a picture feels heavier, the picture feels like it's tipping. Artists arrange the parts so it feels balanced, or sometimes unbalanced on purpose to create tension.

An empty wooden seesaw sitting level in a park playground.
A level seesaw is balanced. Artists arrange the parts of a picture so it feels balanced in the same way. AI-generated image
symmetricalasymmetricalradial
Three kinds of balance. Symmetrical: shapes on the left of a dashed centre line are mirrored exactly on the right. Asymmetrical: on a seesaw, a large light shape near the centre balances a small dark circle far out on the other end. Radial: a snowflake with six identical arms spreading from the centre.

Three kinds of balance

1. Symmetrical (formal) balance. One half is a mirror image of the other. It feels calm, stable, formal and orderly.

  • Vertical symmetry: the left matches the right, across an up-and-down axis. The flag of Canada is an example: a red band on each side, and a red maple leaf in the middle of a white square. A face, a butterfly and the front of many buildings are close to vertically symmetrical.
  • Horizontal symmetry: the top matches the bottom, across a side-to-side axis. Think of a perfectly still lake reflecting the trees and hills above it.

2. Asymmetrical (informal) balance. The two sides are different, but they still feel equal. It feels more natural, lively and interesting. You balance it using visual weight.

3. Radial balance. Parts spread out evenly from a centre, like a snowflake, a sunflower, a bicycle wheel or a mandala. The eye goes to the centre first.

axis
Horizontal symmetry: a row of hills above a dashed horizontal axis is reflected upside down below it, like hills mirrored in a calm lake.

What makes something visually "heavy"?

Use these rules to balance an asymmetrical picture:

  • Size: big shapes feel heavier than small ones.
  • Value: dark shapes feel heavier than light ones.
  • Colour: bright, intense or warm colours feel heavier than dull or cool ones.
  • Detail and texture: busy, detailed areas feel heavier than plain ones.
  • Position: a shape far from the centre has more pull (like the seesaw). A small shape near the edge can balance a big shape near the centre.
  • Number: several small shapes can balance one big shape.
Worked example

Example: Balancing an asymmetrical winter scene

You are painting a winter scene on the theme "Winter in my neighbourhood." On the left side is a big snowy house. The right side looks empty and the picture tips to the left.

  1. Find the problem: the house is big and detailed, so the left side has much more visual weight.
  2. Option 1 (colour): on the right, add a child in a bright red-orange snowsuit. A small but intense shape has a lot of weight.
  3. Option 2 (position): place the child far toward the right edge, like the small kid at the end of the seesaw.
  4. Option 3 (number): add a few smaller things on the right: a snowman, a sled, a dog.
  5. Check: squint at the picture. Does it feel steady? If it still tips, move or adjust something.
  6. Explain it: "I balanced the large house with a small but bright child placed far to the right. This is asymmetrical balance."

Size, colour, value, detail, position and number all change visual weight. Adjusting them creates asymmetrical balance.

Worked example

Example: Explaining the balance in an art work

Imagine a photograph of a calm lake at dawn: the treeline and the sky are mirrored in the still water, top and bottom.

  1. Identify: this is horizontal symmetry, with the axis at the shoreline.
  2. Describe: the top half (trees and sky) is almost exactly matched by the reflection in the bottom half.
  3. Feeling: the symmetry makes the picture feel calm, still and peaceful, like the quiet early morning.
  4. Small surprise: a loon swims on the right side. It adds a little asymmetry, so the picture isn't boring, and the loon becomes a focal point.

Symmetry communicates calm and stillness; a small change can add interest and a focal point.

Just for fun

Why did the seesaw get an A in art class?

It really knew how to find balance! ⚖️

Imbalance on purpose

Sometimes artists make a picture unbalanced on purpose. A tiny figure alone at the very edge of a huge empty space can feel lonely or tense. A picture of an earthquake might look like it's tipping over. If you break balance, make it a choice that communicates a feeling.

Hands-on activity

Balance studio

You need: paper, scissors (a grown-up helps), coloured paper or old magazines, glue, a pencil and markers, and small household objects (buttons, coins, bottle caps, a spoon).

  1. Object balance: on a table, arrange small objects in three ways: symmetrical (mirror the left and right), asymmetrical (different on each side but balanced) and radial (spreading out from a centre). Take a photo or sketch each one.
  2. Fold and cut: fold a paper in half and cut a shape along the fold. Open it: vertical symmetry! Fold a paper in half the other way and do it again. Can you make horizontal symmetry?
  3. Collage on a theme: choose a theme (my favourite season, my community, a celebration). Cut shapes from coloured paper or magazines and make an asymmetrical collage. Before gluing, move pieces until it feels balanced. Use at least two visual weight tricks (size, colour, value, position, number).
  4. Radial design: draw a radial design inspired by a snowflake, a flower or a wheel.
  5. Explain it: write how you balanced your collage, using the words visual weight and asymmetrical.

Your turn

1

What is balance in an art work?

2

Name the three kinds of balance.

3

What is the difference between vertical and horizontal symmetry?

4

Give one example of radial balance.

5

Which feels heavier: a small bright red circle or a small pale grey circle?

6

How can a small shape balance a big shape in asymmetrical balance?

7

Is the flag of Canada symmetrical? Explain.

More practice: warm-up

1

What is Grade 6's principle of design?

2

Another name for symmetrical balance is ___ balance.

3

Another name for asymmetrical balance is ___ balance.

4

True or false: In radial balance, parts spread out from a centre.

5

What is an axis in an art work?

More practice: on your own

1

Why might an artist choose symmetrical balance for a poster for a formal ceremony like Remembrance Day?

2

A picture has a dark, detailed tree on the left and nothing on the right. Suggest two ways to balance it without adding a second tree.

3

Explain why a still lake reflection is an example of horizontal symmetry.

4

Your friend says asymmetrical means "not balanced." Correct them.

5

Describe a radial design you could make from things found in a Canadian winter.

Challenge

1

Plan an art work on the theme "Two sides of my community" that uses asymmetrical balance. Describe what goes on each side and how you balance them.

2

Why does the eye go to the centre first in radial balance?

3

An artist paints a lone hiker very small in the bottom corner of a huge empty sky. Is it balanced? What might it communicate?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Grade 6's principle of design is ___.

2.

In symmetrical balance, ___.

3.

A still lake reflecting the trees above shows ___.

4.

Which has the most visual weight?

5.

A snowflake is an example of ___.

6.

To balance a big shape near the centre, you could place a small bright shape ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Balance is the Grade 6 principle of design, described in the curriculum as the arrangement of the elements of design to create the impression of equality in weight or importance. The Grade 6 focus for space also includes horizontal and vertical symmetry. Students demonstrate an understanding of composition, using selected principles of design to create narrative art works or art works on a theme or topic (D1.2), communicate with elements of design (D1.3) and explain how elements and principles create meaning (D2.2).

How to help:

  • Look at shop signs, logos and buildings and ask, "Symmetrical, asymmetrical or radial?"
  • Arrange the table, a bookshelf or a vase of flowers together and talk about what makes it look balanced.
  • Squint at a drawing with your child; squinting makes visual weight easier to see.

Safety: help with scissors, and keep small objects such as buttons, coins and bottle caps away from younger children, who could choke on them.

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking balance must be symmetrical. Show photos where different things balance each other.
  • Forgetting colour and value as weight. Try the same collage with one bright piece moved around.
  • Mixing up vertical and horizontal symmetry. The axis direction gives the name: an up-and-down axis = vertical symmetry.