Patterns are easiest to recognize when they combine multiple visual elements. This pattern uses shape, size, position, frequency, symmetry, and value.
Pattern in visual arts is used for building larger objects, decoration, organization, association with other patterned objects, and meaning.
When a unit is used for building a larger object, patterns are created. When the shape of the units is similar the pattern becomes more pronounced. Medias such as textiles, ceramics, jewelry, and masonry use repeated smaller elements for the construction of a larger work. Because of their methods of fabrication, these medias are naturally suited for the creation of decorative patterns.
Objects that use smaller units for their construction are naturally suited for the creation of decorative patterns.
Pattern can be used to allude to these medias, or it can borrow from them to suggest less direct associations. A pattern similar to one seen on a woven silk damask may suggest wealth, expense, quality, and conservativeness, significantly more than just an association with fabric. Using pattern in design to create associations with patterns in the real world is a simple and effective method of pattern application.
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The same shapes used to create a game board or race flag become a tablecloth when the colors and frequency are changed. |  |
Patterns have cultural, religious, and philosophical significance. Many patterns have traditional meanings that symbolize the place of man in relation to nature and the universe. While this symbolism can be found in patterns from most cultures, it is very prominent in Islamic art and architecture where pattern is used for the philosophical discussion between man and God.
Types of pattern are associated with different cultures and regions, as with these African examples.
Many cultures share patterns, even such "unrelated" cultures as Native Americans and aboriginal Australians which were physically separated from other European, Asian, and African cultural influences for millennia. In some cases the only major differences to the casual observer between these cultural patterns is the color usage. Color in pattern can be extremely important in dictating cultural meanings.
There are many excellent and specific books available about cultural patterns, most offering usable examples. A search on the web for "Celtic pattern" or any other culture/region will usually return a myriad of books containing thousands of patterns are a good desk reference for anyone using pattern in design.
As with natural shape, natural patterns rarely demonstrate geometric perfection. Adding variation to a pattern will make it appear more natural and add visual interest.
The Fibonacci Sequence is a series of numbers which appear throughout nature and the rest of the universe. This sequence can be used to calculate the Golden Mean (or the Golden Section) which is represented by the Greek letter Phi. The Fibonacci Sequence and Phi can be found visually in plants, in seashells, and in the reproductive family trees of animals.
The Fibonacci Sequence starts with: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, and continues infinitely. This sequence is represented by the calculation F(n) = F(n-2) + F(n-1). Each new number in the sequence is created by adding the previous two numbers. For example, the sum of 8 + 13 is 21, making 21 the next number after 13.
The Golden Rectangle
The Golden Rectangle is considered to be more aesthetically pleasing as a shape than other rectangles with arbitrary dimensions. Golden Rectangles create a sense of completion and a unified whole that can be applied to the elements in a composition or to the overall work. For example, a design or artwork that uses the ratio to create the size and shape of the “canvas” will be interpreted as more unified than works with other rectangle shapes.
The Golden Rectangle is used to create the Fibonacci Spiral, which can be seen throughout the natural world.
A Fibonacci Spiral is duplicated, rotated around the center, and the circular pattern is mirrored. When assembled the result forms the pattern seen in sunflowers.
Further study about the patterned relationships between mathematics, nature, music, and visual art can be found in Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
There is a special kind of pattern that is self-similar, meaning the building unit contained in the pattern is the same as the overall completed shape. Cultural patterns often use self-similarity to suggest infinity and visually express other philosophical and existential concepts.
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These two patterns are self-similar because the shape of the units are the same as the whole. |  |
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These two patterns are NOT self-similar. |  |
All of these patterns are self-similar, because the units building the pattern are the same as the whole.
A fractal is a shape that is self-similar and has a fractional dimension. Self-similarity is a required element in fractals, but all self-similar shapes are not fractals. With fractals an infinite number of self-similar shapes can be found inside a larger shape, or the shape used as the pattern’s building unit can be "grown" into infinite detail by using itself as the blueprint. Each of these stages with smaller divisions is called an iteration.
The Serpinski Triangle is one of the easiest fractals to create. An equilateral triangle is divided at the midpoint of each of the sides to create the first iteration. Each iteration then continues with the smaller equilateral triangle created by each subsequent division.
The Koch Snowflake is another simple fractal using two equilateral triangles to create a star in the first iteration. When each iteration is reduced by 2/3 it then fits within the previous shape and creates a new iteration.
Fractals can be used to create an infinite variety of shape. This simple fractal becomes a tree within a few iterations. Fractals can be used to visually reproduce almost anything found in nature.
Pattern is an extremely powerful method to focus viewer attention. The repetition easily seen in most patterns uses all of the Gestalt principles discussed in previous articles. For that reason pattern is often used in design as a tool for organization, especially when used with text. Common methods for pattern-based organization include:
- Bullets and other shapes to list, outline, and highlight
- Alternating row colors to make individual items stand out, yet still be part of a whole
- Grid-based layout where similar shapes create a common theme, even if the content within the shapes is dissimilar (for example, different photos that are all cropped to the same size and shape and arranged in a grid pattern)
- Color-coding
Because of the power of pattern as a visual element, it is important to use it for desired effect. A pattern can unintentionally destroy the intended message of a visual work by competing with other elements. Even if a pattern is decorative it still must be considered as part of the whole composition as with other complex shapes.
"Tiled backgrounds" can become distracting and make the other content more difficult to follow because the viewer is naturally drawn to the repetition of the pattern.
Patterns that use grids face another problem. An optical illusion can be created by high contrast areas. This is from the way the human retina works, and the only true method for avoiding this problem is to change the pattern itself.
The high contrast and linear nature of this pattern force the retina to work overtime. If you don't want people to see the optical illusion of the little squares in the negative space, the solution is simple: don't use exact grid shapes within exact grid placement.
Moire patterns occur when patterns of different frequencies are used together. This can be easily observed when halftoned images are reproduced using another patterned technology. For example, the halftone printed images from a magazine are already arranged in a pattern that is a different frequency from the pixels created by a scanner and the pixels displayed on a computer monitor. Moire patterns are also created when striped or checkered patterns appear on video.
A solution that sometimes works for scanning is to scan at the highest quality possible and drastically reduce the size using photo software. Applying a gaussian blur to the image before it is reduced sometimes helps as well, but there is no exact method because each image is different and may be printed at a different halftone screen frequency.
The solution for moire patterns in video is simple: don’t wear fine stripes or checkered patterns when you’re going to appear on television.
Use of pattern can add interest as well as visual information to your project. Patterns can be used to enhance many purely figurative designs, as well as decoratively to compliment text. Pattern is a strong visual tool that should not be overlooked.
