Hello fellow scrapbookers and welcome to the final week of TDP's Summer School! I'm hosting Part I of this week's lessons which is all about the theory of 3. When building scrapbook pages, I often use the theory of 3 as a way to add interest to my layouts. How exactly do I do this? Well, today I'll show you!
There's actually two different ways I use the theory of 3 in my scrapbook layouts, so let's start with the visual triangle:
Visual Triangle
You might have heard the design principle that objects look better if grouped together in threes to form a visual triangle, as it allows the eye to bounce around the space. This principle holds true for a myriad of mediums like interior or graphic design, but this idea can also be applied to your scrapbook pages.
In the diagram above, I used three photos and arranged them into a visual triangle. Now I could have lined up the three photos in a row instead, but the resulting layout wouldn't have as much movement (movement = interest).
And the visual triangle method doesn't apply just to your photos, you could also use it when placing embellishments or text on a page. You can even include multiple visual triangles on the same layout, like in the example below. Not only are there 3 photos arranged in a triangle, but the title, flower cluster, and bottom border also form a second visual triangle.
You can also use this method on your pocket style pages, like I did with this spread below. Here I used journal cards and patterned papers to form a visual triangle (which also gives the eye a break from all the photographs). And then there's a second visual triangle created by the 3 word art pieces used on the layout.
Rule of Thirds
The second method for using the theory of 3 in your layouts is by using the Rule of Thirds. This is a very common concept in photography: "In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images. Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect." (from LearnPhotography.com)
This principle can be used for any scrapbooking page where you compose your layout. All you need to do is divide a layout into thirds either horizontally or vertically and then place the majority of your photos, papers, and embellishments along either the lines or the intersection of the lines. In the Goofballs layout example below, I placed the majority of my photos and patterned papers along the left vertical axis, but also placed my long title and journaling along the bottom horizontal axis.
I could have organized this same layout with all the items in the center, giving the layout equal white space on the left and right sides, but the layout wouldn't feel as polished. To demonstrate my point, here's the layout with everything centered on the page:
While centering the layout isn't "wrong", it just doesn't have the same finished feeling as the original layout:
And here's two more layout examples using the rule of thirds:
Magic Layout by TDP CT Katie
Homework
Your homework assignment for today is to make a layout where you utilize either the visual triangle or rule of thirds. I can’t wait to see your pages!
Special Offers
The banner on the UL, then to the tape, then the splatters below (and above) act as a triangle. It doesn't always have to be with embellishments! :D Beautiful page fyi.
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