Nature in Recreation 



flower it might be an odd petal formation, in a bird a different wing mark- 

 ing. And here we add another design principle which is EMPHASIS. We 

 might define this term simply as exaggeration for effect. We would exag- 

 gerate and refine this interesting part of the form to make it the most im- 

 portant part of the design and perhaps repeat that point within the design. 

 Now we are actually beginning to design, for we are adding something of 

 our own imagination. 



One flower suggests a variety of motifs 

 based on different geometric shapes. 



Then we would begin to analyze a bit more and figure how much of the 

 detail of the actual form we could eliminate in order to emphasize still 

 further and to improve the design through simplification. Just as a poet 

 tells the story of action in the least number of words for a telling effect, 

 so a designer should depict form in the least number of lines and masses 

 for striking design. In good design we find a tendency to veer away from 

 naturalistic representation and to refine form often to symbols or geo- 

 metric translations of form. This use of squares, circles, triangles and 

 oblongs as a means of simplification is an excellent way of building up 

 design with children as it is simple and affords variety. To illustrate: a leaf 

 form might take an oblong form or an oval form; a flower petal a circular 



