BALANCE

"Are My Pages on a Teeter-Totter"

We all need balance in our lives. Too much of a good thing often turns into a distasteful thing.

In design, balance is a fundamental principal.

Scrapbook pages should have good and effective balance--not too much of any one thing. When proper layout is accomplished your balance looks and feels comfortable, easy and right.

Elements of your page have weight. If there is an over abundance of any one element then the element becomes over weighted. One big picture improperly placed can dominate, but give balance when other smaller pictures are added. That doesn't mean to say you have to do pages with more than one picture, but if you do a one picture page you need to add balance with embellishments, title and journaling.

You are looking for symmetry (balanced proportions). There are two forms we are concerned with: Asymmetrical--where there is a lack of proportion--not symmetrical. Symmetrical items are parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane, a center or axis--like two children on a "teeter-totter." Each creates its own effect. For those of you who are more detail oriented and would like to know more about these two forms of balance-click here.

Balance is a visual effect. Item placement helps the eye move across and through the page. This eye movement promotes connectivity to unrelated items...a back and forth or up and down movement. Placement of items in a "Z" pattern or "diamond" form helps the viewer move fluidly about your page.

In art there is the rule of "3" (or odd numbers 3, 5, 7, etc.) The easiest and most useful number is "3." When you use more than three items your page can become to busy and the theme is hard to follow. If you have several photos you want to use it may be best to break them up into to coordinating pages.

Your prime focus item should be placed on those (imaginary) divisional third lines dissecting your page...it gives you a "tic-tac-toe" frame to work from. You don't need to use drawn lines--just visualize them in your mind. Perfection isn't required here.

You need to give your eyes a rest by leaving enough background space. This helps with letting the focus be on your photograph(s).

For additional information (a little more technical see: The Golden Ratio and The Rule of Thirds).