Triadic Harmony

Society Of Illustrators 47th Annual of American Illustration, p299
National Endowment for the Arts, Ivan Chermayeff

This design shows an example of triadic color harmony of red, yellow, and blue with a little pizzaz of violet added in. Unity is achieved by proximity of the elements and repetition of colors, shapes, and orientations of elements. Emphasis is created by contrast in color - the words being placed on colored backgrounds while the rest of the composition has a black background. Asymmetrical balance is created by color placement. The repetition of the lines and circles creates a staccato rhythm. The overall design has a nice energetic feel created by the bright, intense colors and crisp simple shapes. It makes jazz look pretty snappy!