It must be borne in mind when designs are based on natural forms that the mere rendering of a natural attitude does not in itself constitute a design. In the case of plant forms, flowers and leaves should be grouped and massed, primarily with a view to the composition of a harmonious whole. Sometimes interest may be added by introducing animal forms in keeping with the general environment.
Interest in design depends on the massing and emphasis of detail, because, if a plain or uniform surface be completely covered with detail equally distributed, with no regard to mass or emphasis of parts, it is obvious that the result will again be uniform--the only difference being that a certain texture is imparted to the surface, and this, though not undesirable in a wallpaper, is not consonant with the nature of a panel.
The massing of detail should be as simple as possible and to some extent should be guided by the scale. One expedient in panel designing is to draw within the area, whether it be square, rectangular or any other shape, a circle or oval to control the predominant detail in contrast to that which is to be less conspicuous.
[Illustration: No. 215. Phases of Elaboration of Simple Shape.]
Large areas may be sub-divided into several masses, but the grouping of these must be controlled by the general shape. When dealing with borders a suggestion was made that the undulate stem could follow the lines of adjacent circles, and this device is the basis of most of the scrolling growth lines that are characteristic of Renaissance ornament.
[Illustration: No. 216. Byzantine Panel. Composition based on Circles.]
[Illustration: No. 217. Romanesque Lunette Panel. Composition based on Circular Shapes.]
Decoration, when the human figure or any form of animal life is employed, is bounded with the same conditions with regard to composition, inasmuch that they
[Illustration: No. 218. Figure Composition. Recognition of Framing Lines.]
[Illustration: No. 219. Figure Composition. Spandril Treatment.]
must be so arranged as to occupy the area and be in harmony with the boundaries or framing lines.
The license that is permissible in ornament, particularly of the purely conventional type, when it may be compelled in any direction and fitted into any space that is desirable from a decorative point of view, is not possible where the human or animal form is concerned. This adds to the consideration, as natural attitude and proportions are obligatory if consistency has to be observed.