Rhythm and Line

A design should impart a sense of frozen motion. It should also lead the viewer’s eye in a deliberate direction. The viewer’s eye should begin at the edge of the design, move to the point of greatest interest, and either remain there or pass on through the design, exiting at the opposite edge. The placement and repetition of selected elements, such as seedpods in a dried autumn arrangement, can create a sense of rhythm. The use of transition described under scale and proportion is also important to the development of rhythm and line. The simple, free-flowing lines of nature as observed in a meandering stream, a gently curled leaf, and a drift of snow or sand are good lines to duplicate within a floral arrange­ment. Equally interesting can be lines that converge to a single point, like highways radiating to and from a city. Gradations of size, color, and texture will create these lines and promote the essential sense of frozen motion.