When it comes to scrapbooking you can really get in touch with your creative side and produce some very unique scrapbook pages. With so many different resources like books, magazines, classes, and stores around the world you are literally able to create the scrapbook page of your dreams. If however you haven’t managed to find that perfect page yet, this article will give you some ideas on how to create a unique layout and design so your scrapbook is everything you want and more.
Creating a unique layout and design doesn’t have to be rocket science. There are some basic design principles to follow however, to make sure your page is balanced and organized. Organization is the key to creating unique layouts with your scrapbook page. If you can get yourself organized, your scrapbook page will fall together easily and you will be happy with a great finished page that you’ve come up with all on your own. So let’s get started with some basic design principles to help you get your own creative juices flowing and give natural balance and flow to your scrapbook page.
The first thing you need to realize is that your scrapbook page is going to be unique because no one else in the world will have the same picture you do, taken with the same people, or of the same objects. That’s what makes a page unique with every scrapbooker. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are some important design principles to follow:
1.Find and designate a focal point to your page. Finding your focal point is easy; choose the main photograph you want in the layout and that’s it. Your focal point is the place you want your viewers to look to first so make sure it’s a picture you love. After you have chosen the focal picture then choose a few others to act as supporting photographs and remember that odd numbers usually work best and help to balance your page out better. So instead of using just two pictures, try using three or five if they will fit.
2.Follow the “Golden Ratio Rule.” The golden ratio rule is to always group your embellishments in groups of three or five, much like your pictures. Odd numbers are more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than even numbers when it comes to scrapbook pages so try and stick to the odd numbers. It’s also a good idea to place accents and embellishments that are related somehow to one another closer in proximity to each other. It’s easier for the eye to see them as one unit instead of separate units all over the page.
3.When you are figuring out your layout and design, try and think of a triangle. Placing your photos and embellishments at each of the triangle’s three points helps create balance on the page and for some reason our eyes appreciate those three points more so than any other shape.
4.Apply the “rule of thirds.” The rule of thirds states that you should think of your page as a grid that is divided into thirds horizontally and vertically. Your focal point or focal picture should be on one of the convergences of these lines.
5.Always consider the size of your elements. Try and maintain balance on your scrapbook page by considering the size of your elements in comparison with everything else on your page. You don’t want to place oversized embellishments on your page that make your pictures look small and unnoticeable.
6.Use repetition. Don’t be afraid to repeat shapes, colors and other elements on the page to emphasize certain features and de-emphasize others.
Understanding some fundamental principals of design can really help you figure out how to create a unique layout and design for you scrapbook page and really spark your creativity. And lastly, sometimes if things are not working the way you want, then bend the rules a little and see what it does for you.
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