We’re starting a new series here on the Aussie Blog, covering basic design principles. We’re lucky enough to be using many sketches by Becky Fleck of PageMaps to illustrate many of the concepts, and we’d love you to join in with us as we go through them.
Each week we’ll be posting information about a different design principle, together with sketches. You can use the sketches, OR create your own design to illustrate the concept of the week. So for this first week for example, you could create a page using either sketch below, make up your own design that clearly showcases either the symmetrical or assymetrical concept, or even use our design teams layouts as a basis for your own. Cardmakers are welcome too, and we’ll include CardMaps from Becky as well where they apply.
We would love you to join in our Design Challenge and we have a prize pack to give away each week to our favourite layouts! As always we’d prefer you to use our suppliers, but with so many fabulous brands to choose from this is an easy task! Please email us your pages by next Tuesday 22 May to appear on our blog in our next post.
Balance – Symmetry
Balance is the concept of visual equilibrium. It’s about using elements in a composition that results in visual stability. This can be achieved using either perfect or implied symmetry or less obviously though asymmetry.
Symmetrical pages, like the sketch above, are where elements are organised aligned along a vertical or horizontal axis, like a mirrored image. So if you were to fold your page in half (in the case of this example, in half vertically), each half of the page is identical.
Suz has used the sketch above to create this simple but effective layout using Heidi Swapp’s new line with Pink Paislee, No Limits. As you can see what is created on one side of the page is echoed almost exactly on the opposite site.
Louise has used 3 element points; Prima Cloissone flower, Tattered Angels Chalkboard mist, and an alpha title to achieve balance in this layout. These three elements come together to create symmetry, despite all being very different in size and design. The centred arrangement and colour coordination helps to ensure a visual balance.
Balance: Assymetry
Assymetrical balance is achieved where design elements that differ in size and/or shape are organised and positioned against each other. This is more difficult to define, but balance is achieved where the elements are equal in visual weight, rather than shape or size. For example a darker graphic element may need to be balanced by several lighter items, or a small photo and details can be balanced with texture in the background papers. Though this asymmetrical balance may appear more casual, it can be more difficult to achieve successfully.
There is an obvious asymmetry to this page and yet visually it is balanced by the equal weight of the elements on either side.
Here Louse shows how smaller areas with more detailed textures or elements can balance a larger area with less texture or detail.
So join in! We’d love to see your pages as we go through the Design Principles together. If you have any questions about the series, leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you with answers!
