Grouping for Balance

Balance can be of two kinds:  Formal and Informal.  Formal balance occurs when objects of the same "weight" are found on both sides of the page.  Informal balance, which is more prominent in paintings, is like the father and the child on the teeter totter.

In these two examples, setting one of the objects apart provides an informal balance. Grouping several of the chickens or the lightbulbs gives weight to the left side of each painting, while the "outsider" gives weight to the right side.  The space on the right side is the equivalent of the child with the length of the teeter totter helping to equalize the weight.

So use grouping and spacing to achieve informal balance.