Floral Design

Understanding the Design Elements

Interest Approach

Take a look at the examples of floral designs on your desk. Compare and contrast these arrangements with your neighbor. Look at the shape, color, texture and size. Try to visualize the same arrangements in a different color or size. Would the arrangements have the same visual effect? Why or why not?

Student Objectives

 1. List and describe the major forms (or shapes) used in floral design.

 2. Explain how space and depth enhance floral design.

 3. Describe the importance of texture in floral design.

 4. Explain how color influences floral work.

Vocabulary

 Advancing color  Analogous  Color wheel  Complimentary  Depth  Design elements  Filler flowers  Form  Form flowers  Free form  Geometric  Line  Line materials  Mass flowers  Monochromatic  Naturalistic  Polychromatic  Primary colors

Vocabulary Cont.

 Receding colors      Secondary colors Shape Space Tertiary colors Texture

What Are the Major Forms or Shapes Used in Floral Design?

 Floral arrangements are composed of flowers, greenery and containers  The physical characteristics that the designer uses to create the arrangements are called

design elements

 Form and shape are the first two design elements



Form

refers to the 3-dimensional outline of the arrangement 

Shape

is the 2-dimensional term for form  The common forms used in floral design are: geometric, naturalistic and free form 

Geometric shapes

triangles are most often circles or  Can be varied into ovals, fans, crescents, right triangles, isosceles triangles and asymmetrical triangles 

Naturalistic designs

mirror the natural plant growth; Include groupings of plant material, using branches to symbolize trees and shorter flowers the undergrowth

   

Free form

arrangements are more contemporary; Very creative and do not have any particular design rules All forms of arrangement are created through the use of lines

Line

is the visual movement between two points in an arrangement  Placement creates shape and expresses emotions  Can be created through the use of line material

Line materials

(like snapdragon, liatris and scotch broom) are used to create definite vertical, horizontal, diagonal or curvilinear lines

Design Forms

Courtesy of Delmar Publishing

 The remainder of the arrangement is created through the combination of form, mass and filler flowers 

Form flowers

are those with distinctive shapes  Ex. Orchids, lilies 

Mass flowers

are round, solid flowers  Ex. Mums, carnations, roses 

Filler flowers

are light, airy flowers that fill in the space between other flowers  Ex. Baby’s breath, sea foam statice

How Do Space and Depth Enhance Floral Design?

 The areas in the design that have no flowers are just as important as the flowers themselves  Areas devoid of flowers are called

space

 It is important for designers to leave space in their arrangements  Space increases the apparent size of a design by adding space and depth to the design



Depth

gives the arrangement more of a three dimensional form than just a shape  Achieved by tucking flowers in further so they are partially hidden; and dangling flowers upward or to the side  Space makes the arrangement appear to be larger even though no more materials are used; Occurs if the flowers are placed away from each other  Helps to save money by creating a larger, more expensive-looking design  Adds more interest in the design

How Is Texture Important in Floral Design?

 Floral designers can create visually attractive arrangements by combining plant material with different textures 

Texture

is the design element that refers to the surface quality of the plant material  Plant material can be rough, smooth, leathery, velvety, satiny or hairy  It can also have visual texture - fine, airy, lacy, delicate, bold or coarse  By varying textures in a design, it will attract attention and hold the viewer’s interest

Looking at the pictures to the right, describe the textures of each of the flowers

Courtesy of Delmar Publishing

How Does Color Influence Floral Work?

  Color is probably the most obvious design element  An arrangement can lose its appeal if the colors are not striking Color contributes to people’s feelings  They have also influenced occasions or events  For example, red symbolizes love; Orange symbolizes Halloween

Colors and Emotions/occasions

Color

Yellow Red Blue Orange Green Violet Black White

Emotion/Occasion

Happy, cheerful, friendship Love, exciting, joyful Quiet, cool, restful, dignity & formality Warmth, autumn color, Halloween Life, St. Patrick’s Day Royalty and elegance Somberness, death Purity, innocence, weddings

 The

color wheel

is made up of primary, secondary and tertiary colors  Primary = red, blue, yellow  Secondary = orange, green, violet  Two primary colors combined  Tertiary = one primary combined with one secondary color  Names are always hyphenated  For example blue-green, orange-red  There are six color schemes that designers can use to create beautiful arrangements  Created by the combination of one or more colors

Color Schemes

Monochromatic Analogous Complimentary Split complimentary Triadic Polychromatic

One color plus its tints, tones or shades (light and darker colors) Three colors next to each other on the color wheel Two colors across from each other on the color wheel One color plus the colors on either side of its compliment Three colors that are equidistant from each other on the color wheel Two or more colors anywhere on the wheel

Monochromatic Analogous Complimentary ex. Blue & orange Triadic

Courtesy of Delmar Publishing

Polychromatic Split-Complimentary

Courtesy of Delmar Publishing

 No matter what color scheme is used, remember they are viewed differently depending on what colors they are combined with 

Advancing colors

move towards the viewer  For example yellow, red and orange 

Receding colors

disappear into the background  For example violet, blue and green

Summary

 List the twelve design forms.

 How is a geometric form different from a naturalistic one?

 Describe the difference between form, mass and filler flowers. Give an example of each.

 How can depth and space enhance a design?

 What is texture? Why should you vary the texture in an arrangement?

 Name the three primary and secondary colors.

Summary Cont.

 How do you create a tertiary color?

 Using the color wheel, give an example of each of the color schemes.

 What are advancing colors? Receding colors?