The first thing I see in this painting is the person on the sail boat. It's like Monet is trying to express that even though nature is the most overwhelming element in this painting the small person is what matters.
Colors play a major role in The Starry Night, without the low key colors mixed with the high key colors the sky would have had little to no effect. The bright yellows, oranges and whites clash with the darker blues and blacks to create a flowing pattern. Unlike the sky, the city is full of low key colors that keep the focus pointed towards the sky. The color wheel seemed to play a huge role as well. There are a lot of primary blues and yellows in the sky, since they are across from each other in the color wheel they compliment each other well. .
The more upbeat and bright Monet uses mostly high key colors. Even the darkest colors blend so well with the lighter colors that they almost seem nonexistent. The higher key colors of this painting make it harder to focus on only one element or one area. Monet's use of the color wheel consisted mainly of mixing colors to achieve others. I don't see very many colors that compliment each other. Most colors are whites next to blues and reds next to greens. Most colors are not contrasting and this makes the painting stand out less, it's easier on the eyes, and it flows.
The principles of design can be found throughout The Starry Night and The Regatta at Argenteuil. In Van Gogh's painting balance helps keep the viewers eye focused on the painting. For me the focal points were the swirls in the middle of the page. Those were the first things that caught my eye, but the focal point quickly moves from the swirls to the city and the detail that it possesses. Scale and proportion helps us see how far away from the city that Van Gogh was. Each of the elements work together to create the most widely know piece of art. Had Van Gogh not used an element or used to many elements the effect of this painting would have hindered.