Dow's drawing No. 17: above, a border of one stepped black-and-white unit repeated at equal intervals; below, a row of farmhouse gables repeated at uneven intervals across a landscape.

Concept · Arranging the Picture

Rhythm and Repetition

Repetition uses the same line or shape again. Rhythm is what it creates: a sense of organized movement.

Dow called repetition probably the oldest form of design. Equal spacing gives a pattern, like his border; uneven spacing is what you find in landscape, like his gables.

  • Some variety, the Getty adds, keeps a rhythm lively.
  • Look for repeats in a picture's edges and gaps, not only its objects.

See

Image: Project Gutenberg · Public domain

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