Examples for Harmony and Disharmony

Remember: We perceive visual impressions as harmonic, if we find a distribution according to similarity or dissimilarity. Let's have a look at the following graphics:
 
 

 
 
This graphic seems disharmonic to us. The arrangement of the lines can neither be classified as similar nor as dissimilar. This uncertainty about judging this image arouses a feeling of disorder and subsequently the sensation of disharmony.
Following a variant:
 
 

 
 
This graphic shows a "contrary" distribution, one line is vertical and the other horizontal. The lines seem harmonic to us. We immediately recognise a different arrangement. And this certainty conveys a feeling of order and subsequently a sensation of harmony.
Following another variant:
 
 

 
 
This graphic shows a consistent regularity of change. So this does not cause any uncertainty about the classification. We instantly spot an order in the arrangement of these lines, and we therefore perceive the distribution of the lines as harmonic.
A further variant:
 
 

 
 
This graphic shows a repetition of the disharmony from the first graphic, but nevertheless it conveys the impression of harmony.
The disorderly element recurs and thus creates similarity. We must not look at the single disharmonic element separately when judging the graphic, because it is the general impression of the graphic that counts. The arrangement of the lines is harmonic in the context of all the other elements because the groups recur. We can see an order of the units, and it is due to the order in this image that we perceive it as harmonic. This harmonic effect could be produced by creating a pattern, a texture. It is far more demanding and requires much more sensitiveness and skill, however, to create a harmony without using the texture effect. The third graphic does not reveal any pattern nor texture; it is the rhythmical distribution of the lines that creates harmony. This rhythm needs not necessarily have the same beat as our graphic. Just like in music we can work with many beats, they just have to be pleasing to the ear.
On the next page you will find similar examples with hatchings.