Compose styles
Rather than blending styles toward a middle, this gives them roles. The first one carries the structure, the next comes in as the accent, and anything after that shows up in a single detail. Where they fight each other, it says so before you start.
How to divide the work
- Composition
- Follow De Stijl: Divide the plane with orthogonals; shift the weight off center
- Type
- Set in De Stijl's manner (A rectilinear sans; treat letters as rectangles too), and let Suprematism's lettering (Keep type small and neutral, apart from the forms' motion) appear only where you want the eye to catch.
- Material
- Ground in De Stijl's material (White, black, primaries; ration the colored planes); bring in exactly one thing from Suprematism (White, black and red at the core; restrict the palette).
- Colour
- Build on #f2efe2, #d53225, #1f4b93 and admit one accent from #f1eee4, #cd2d24, #22211d.
Where they fight
- De Stijl and Suprematism both belong to Geometric Abstraction, so the difference is small. Push the roles further apart than feels comfortable.
Caution
- De Stijl Not just red-blue-yellow squares. Design the ratios and the asymmetric balance.
- Suprematism Don't stop at scattering shapes. Feel the gravity and spacing continuing beyond the frame.
Image prompt
Produce four original images that take their structure from De Stijl (style, 1917–1931) and their accent from Suprematism (style, 1915–1920s). ## What to make Make the kind of thing De Stijl exists for: brand systems that grow from few rules, or uniting abstraction with lucid order. Choose one subject and hold it across all four. ## Structure comes from De Stijl - Vertical and horizontal - Red, blue, yellow - White planes - Asymmetric equilibrium Composition: Divide the plane with orthogonals; shift the weight off center. Type and lettering: A rectilinear sans; treat letters as rectangles too. ## Accent comes from Suprematism, used sparingly - Floating rectangles - White space - Diagonal gravity - Restricted color Let one material quality come from it: White, black and red at the core; restrict the palette. ## Colour and feeling Build the ground on #f2efe2, carry the structure in #d53225 and #1f4b93, and let a single accent come from #cd2d24. These are read off real works, so a direction rather than a fixed palette. Feeling to carry: trust, calm, technique, futurity, exhilaration. ## Where they fight - De Stijl and Suprematism both belong to Geometric Abstraction, so the difference is small. Push the roles further apart than feels comfortable. ## What goes wrong - De Stijl: Not just red-blue-yellow squares. Design the ratios and the asymmetric balance. - Suprematism: Don't stop at scattering shapes. Feel the gravity and spacing continuing beyond the frame. ## Across the four Keep the roles fixed in all four. Vary the framing, the scale and the arrangement so the set shows what this pairing can do rather than four versions of one picture. ## Constraints - Do not imitate, reference or name any specific artist, studio, brand, character or copyrighted work. - Do not reproduce the composition of an existing work. - Produce original compositions in the general period languages described above.
Related entries
- De Stijl 1917–1931 / Style / Geometric Abstraction
Restricts the vocabulary to vertical, horizontal and primary color, building universal order from balance.
- Suprematism 1915–1920s / Style / Geometric Abstraction
Leaves depiction behind, raising felt tension from a few geometric forms and empty space.
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