In places with four distinct seasons, March can be a funny month. One day it’s as cold as Christmas, and the next finds you wanting to sack the jacket. As winter turns to spring, we appreciate warmth because we know what it’s like to be cold. Contrast, if not the spice of life, is certainly one of them.
Using contrast to “spice up” a layout can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of a design. Below are three examples of layouts whose colors and other page elements are designed with beautiful contrasts in mind.
Light on Dark
"An Aunt's Work Is Never Done" by Judy Nieusma, as seen in the Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks organization issue, page 81
Tips
- Use light colors for your text and accents against a dark background.
- Use both a large and a small font size in your title or other text.
- Use straight lines and round accents together.
Dark on Light
"Island Boy" by Jennifer McGuire, as seen in the September 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes, page 47
Tips
- Place brightlycolored photos against a plain white or neutral background. The beautiful colors will grab your attention and draw you into the picture.
- Let the title stand alone so it stands out against a plain background.
- When the subject of a photo is very simple (i.e., not “busy”), use an assortment of accents in a variety of shapes to add texture. Allow some element of the accents, such as color, to be the same as in the picture so the accents meld into the photo rather than distract from it.
Light and Dark
"Mr. Monopoly" by Laina Lamb, as seen in the January 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes, page 50
Tips
- Make one layer of your background dark and the other light, arranging your layers based on other colors in the layout.
- Draw attention to a focal point in a layout with only two or three main colors by adding a multicolored accent piece next to the focal point.
- Combine straight lines, curves, and zigzags on a layout.
Enjoy experimenting with contrast on your layouts! If you have a favorite trick you use when adding contrast to your pages, feel free to share it by leaving a comment below.
–Dorathy Gilchrist, associate editor
I love doing these kinds of layouts. They add nice dramatic details to them. Very nice!
I love doing these kinds of layouts. They add nice dramatic details to them. Very nice!
To create contrast, I like to use either a white or black/dark background and then stick to only one accent color. The color pops off of the page. I usually use selective coloring on a b&w photo when I use this trick.
To create contrast, I like to use either a white or black/dark background and then stick to only one accent color. The color pops off of the page. I usually use selective coloring on a b&w photo when I use this trick.
I particularly like the contrast used in the first example “An Aunt’s Work”. The embelishments used on the black paper along with the white font and the overall crispness of the entire layout is striking! Very well done!
I particularly like the contrast used in the first example “An Aunt’s Work”. The embelishments used on the black paper along with the white font and the overall crispness of the entire layout is striking! Very well done!
What a cute idea!! I love the “An aunt’s work is never done” page. What a perfect example of light on dark contrast. The round embellishments along with the straight lines are very eye catching!
What a cute idea!! I love the “An aunt’s work is never done” page. What a perfect example of light on dark contrast. The round embellishments along with the straight lines are very eye catching!
So cute you put Emmitt’s page up today. He turned six today, lost his first tooth and still cheats at Monopoly!
So cute you put Emmitt’s page up today. He turned six today, lost his first tooth and still cheats at Monopoly!
I love these pages! And the idea of contrasts in a page.
I love these pages! And the idea of contrasts in a page.