From the course: Layout and Composition: Advanced Principles
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Tension
- Tension is a difficult concept to explain. There's no scientific or mathematical perfect way of making tension. There are no hard-line rules that will make it work. It's often more of a feeling. But specific approaches can give the composition a sense of energy and create a particular response from the viewer. We can tell when something has no tension. The layout is expective and comfortable. Now I'm okay with comfortable on a sofa, but in design, it translates to forgettable. Tension adds a sense of discomfort. It's the point when the elements may, or may not, connect or collide. Tension forces the viewer to make this determination. This creates energy. Consider how tension works in film. You feel tension when you're aware of the danger, say, the zombies outside. But the actors in the scene don't know the zombies are that close. When the zombie crashes though the window, we're startled, knowing what would happen, but not that fast. In composition, we can use the same effect. The…
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