Framing and grids are essential within art and graphic design. But first we can talk about framing. Framing is everywhere and it sets off the piece of art from its surroundings. Frames create an understanding for the piece of art it is apart of. Depending on how a piece of art is framed, cropped, or bordered, it can change the meaning and how the piece of art or design impacts its audience. Cropping is a form of framing when the artist redraws its borders or alters its shape. When a designer crops a picture you can find different pictures within the bigger picture. Margins and bleeds also fall into the category of framing. Depending on the size of the margins the picture can be emphasized or made “larger than life”. When it comes to language framing a picture or piece of art, it helps the audience understand the meaning of the piece of art work in words and visuals. Again, it all depends on the size, the text of a picture can drastically change the emphasis of the art. Borders, depending on the size and color again, create a transition between the image and the background and is just another way to make a piece of artwork unique.
A grid in the design world is a network of lines. The lines run horizontal and vertical and equally divide a piece of artwork. It can be circular as well. These lines are guidelines that align elements in relation to each other. A grid offered a rationale and a starting point for every piece of work. These are used to generate form, arrange images, and organize information. Grids construct compositions, layouts, and patterns because they divide a space into fields and these grids can create irregular and asymmetrical compositions.
Framing is everywhere in my own life and it makes the way I see things different depending on how the frame was designed or placed. If things such as a clock, paintings, portraits, and pictures didn’t have a frame then there would not be any seperation from background and actual object. Language frames things as said in the reading. Language and text use different fonts and sizes to add emphasis to the piece of work. In the real world, doors and windows are framed already by different materials and different colors. Sometimes there are no borders to allow the house to flow together more, but depending on the chosen colors or materials, a bordered window or door can add a lot of character to an interior and exterior of a house.
