The Golden Mean and Artistic Design
The Golden Mean, Divine Proportion or Golden Section is a mathematical ratio that occurs frequently in nature and is often applied in the design and creation of artworks. It can be used to divide lines and rectangles into visually pleasing compositions that look beautiful. It's also used in music and other forms of art. Many famous artists and designers have intentionally based their work around the golden ratio. For instance, Le Corbusier was an architect who drew much of his architectural system around the Golden Ratio. Salvador Dali also used a canvas shaped like a golden rectangle in his painting The Sacrament of the Last Supper.
The Golden Mean in Ancient Ethics
In the ancient world, the golden mean was a virtue and an important ethical concept. It appeared in Greek thought at least as early as the Delphic maxim "nothing in excess" and was discussed by philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
The Connection between the Golden Mean and the Fibonacci Sequence
When used in design, the golden mean is similar to the Fibonacci sequence, another aesthetically pleasing geometric pattern that also occurs frequently in the natural world. The Fibonacci sequence is made up of two numbers that when divided through a series of formulas always result in a ratio that closely resembles the golden mean.
Applying the Golden Ratio in Design
There are numerous ways to use the golden ratio in your design work, but one of the easiest is to divide a line or rectangle into two smaller sections and make sure that each section is 1.618 times as long as the other section. This formula can be applied to columns and proportional layouts as well.
Using the Golden Ratio as a Guideline
The best way to use the golden ratio in your design is to use it as a guideline and then tweak the layouts as necessary. This can help you create better looking designs and it will also give you an idea of what you're doing right and what needs some improvement. If you're designing something for social media, for example, you can use the golden ratio to help you get the photo and text in the right spots without having to spend time resizing them or trying to find the perfect font. Just take your picture and add both its width and height to this online calculator and it will show you how the other side of your photo should be 1.618 times as long.
The Versatility of the Golden Ratio
Using the golden ratio in your design work is simple, but it takes some practice to master it. But the more you learn, the more you'll be able to use it to improve your work and the more you'll see how it can add value to any piece of artwork. It can be applied to any aspect of your work and can even be used in a design project that's primarily focused on user interaction. If you're creating a blog post or other type of content, this can be an excellent way to design a layout that is easy to read and looks great.
The Golden Ratio in Nature
The golden ratio is a mathematical formula that is commonly found in nature, and can be applied to all sorts of artistic endeavors. You can see it in flowers, sea shells, pineapples, honeycombs, and more.
