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I don't have a lot of images that need to be pointed in a certain direction, but I'm wondering how many of you follow the rule that I learnt while scrapbooking. When you have a person in a picture facing some way, you should always point the face toward the rest/majority of the layout. I now have to do this with my stamped images too. For example this card: Thank you Moth by annascreations at Splitcoaststampers It would just be wrong to me to have the butterfly/moth looking off of the card (if it was on the other side of the card). You know what I mean? It's a little difficult to explain. Or those "people" images where they are walking... shouldn't we give them the rest of the card to walk to ?
How many people follow this rule, or is it just my messed up head that feels this way:rolleyes: ?
I know of the rule and consider it. I can't think of an example off the top of my head, but sometimes I break it on purpose. Like I want the tension it causes to break that rule. Seems to cause a bit more drama sometimes. I don't always want the card or scrapbook page to be totally peaceful.
But yes, I do think about it.
__________________ My BlogMy GalleryAll dog's feet smell like Fritos. I know you don't believe me, go check... See, I told you so.
annascreations.......Yes, you're correct, your images should be facing into the card, not to the outside. It draws the "viewer's" eye inward to the design instead of out of your card. It's a very basic element of design.
I remember being around 5 years old and being frustrated because
my Disney book about Cinderella had the animals (the horse, etc) facing
the end of the page. I asked my mother what they were looking
at and she said she didn't know. !!!
The Always bird is interesting. I tend to like right side heavy cards. Not sure why. *I didn't realize this until I read this thread* but the Always bird faces the right so if he's on the right side he's looking off the card.
Some people did him on the right and I think it totally works though.
I like him facing that way though because if I had him I think I'd use him on the left and feel like I was making a different *for me* type of card.
This thread is fun, it has me thinking about all sorts of design stuff that I do or admire.
__________________ My BlogMy GalleryAll dog's feet smell like Fritos. I know you don't believe me, go check... See, I told you so.
I think I have been doing this intuitively and not knowing why. Now I know!
__________________ Just my two stamps worth, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* * * Sue * * * In quaint, quiet, quirky little Darmstadt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, look at that card. I LOVE it. The image is to the right though. But I think it still works. I think it's because of the vertical piece on the left, sorta pulls the bird back in.
So I guess for me, the facing is a factor, but it can be overcome by balance ya know?
Or maybe it affects balance is the point. Like the bird is just naturally right heavy because the object he's looking at has weight even though we can't see it? So if he is going to be on the right side he needs to be balanced by some design element on the left.
Yea, I'm gonna go with that.
__________________ My BlogMy GalleryAll dog's feet smell like Fritos. I know you don't believe me, go check... See, I told you so.
A few months ago, I was talking to someone who designs merchandise for Disney, and realized that this issue is why a lot of the Princess items feel "off" to me - she said that the one big rule when designing with the princesses is that they can never look at each other - they're all "inhabiting their own worlds". So, inevitably, one or more (or all) of them are looking right off the edge of the piece, looking at nothing. I hadn't actually thought, then, about the "facing" design element, but now that makes a lot of sense.
I always try to follow this design principle too, but am also a scrapper. It really does annoy me when people are looking off into space unless it is a part of the design to tell the story. Maybe stamping images not quite as much?
well, i had to go check the few things in my gallery... and i'm sure i'll go nuts until i can get home and look through my scrapbook pages too!
i've never heard of this rule, but it seems i follow it. maybe it's the thing that makes you think "something's wrong" but you can't put your finger on it
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Quote:
Originally Posted by annascreations
I don't have a lot of images that need to be pointed in a certain direction, but I'm wondering how many of you follow the rule that I learnt while scrapbooking. When you have a person in a picture facing some way, you should always point the face toward the rest/majority of the layout. I now have to do this with my stamped images too. For example this card: Thank you Moth by annascreations at Splitcoaststampers It would just be wrong to me to have the butterfly/moth looking off of the card (if it was on the other side of the card). You know what I mean? It's a little difficult to explain. Or those "people" images where they are walking... shouldn't we give them the rest of the card to walk to ?
How many people follow this rule, or is it just my messed up head that feels this way:rolleyes: ?
Yes I do this but I didnt know it was a "rule" thought I was just wierd (ok, I am:mrgreen: but anyway). This card I recently made would normally have the image on the left but I just had to put it on the right because the skunk is facing the wrong way:rolleyes: CC Inspired by jpmayo at Splitcoaststampers
I have never heard of this rule, but it is something that I do. I have tried to do sketches with a stamped image of a person and had to flip the sketch in order to make it work because it just didn't look right if I didn't. Interesting.
I am also a scrapper who follows this basic design principle as well. Particularly with layouts... with such a large canvas, it's important that your viewer's eye doesn't wander off the page. With such a large canvas, basic principles really help the page to flow nicely, keep the viewer's attention, and not look cluttered. I think there's a *little* bit of leeway with cards, though. It's a smaller canvas and some images just won't always work when following the priniciple to a 'T'.
I made a card a while back with the Michael's preggo lady stamp. I tend to appeal more to left-heavy design and she faces left! LOL So I had a dandy of a time trying to come up with a design for her so she would be on the right. I was in such a hurry, though, that I just went with what was comfortable, and stuck her over on the left. I will say that it was definitely NOT my best card. LOL :rolleyes: So IMO it's certainly something to consider when making cards.
Oh I remember learning this rule in High School art class. lol - guess I never worry about it but do it naturally now. I was always uncomfortable with college art and drawing "life" classes where the model poses and might be looking "off" weirdly for your positioning and you couldn't move (fule of the class).
I do sometimes purposely put an image going off the card... I have a ladybug that I stamped going off the card because that is what they do in nature... (her trail though had been highlight in silver thread sewing).
I haven't started scrapping yet so we shall see how that goes! lol
I have never heard of that rule, but I have noticed that most of my cards and scrapbook pages are done with the main images facing the correct way. I guess it just looks better that way to my eye.
I just had to do a right-heavy card to use the little hedgehog stamp from that "realistic" animal set in the SU catty right now (can't remember the name). It looked so much better facing into the card. But I scrap, too, and probably learned that "rule" in a SBing book or magazine article.
I started as a scrapper and pay attention to this rule most of the time. I like giving birds and people something to look at which is why I like that justjohanna's birds come in mirror image. That way I can have the critters face each other, which also facilitates their conversations.
I started as a scrapper and pay attention to this rule most of the time. I like giving birds and people something to look at which is why I like that justjohanna's birds come in mirror image. That way I can have the critters face each other, which also facilitates their conversations.
Bwahaha. I sound like a nutter.
I love that too! I think I'd like all my cute critter stamps to go either way.
__________________ My BlogMy GalleryAll dog's feet smell like Fritos. I know you don't believe me, go check... See, I told you so.
Ok, look at that card. I LOVE it. The image is to the right though. But I think it still works. I think it's because of the vertical piece on the left, sorta pulls the bird back in.
So I guess for me, the facing is a factor, but it can be overcome by balance ya know?
Or maybe it affects balance is the point. Like the bird is just naturally right heavy because the object he's looking at has weight even though we can't see it? So if he is going to be on the right side he needs to be balanced by some design element on the left.
Yea, I'm gonna go with that.
I agree with your take on that card, the additional layers on the left side definately balance it out a bit.
Check out the summer by the sea Gallery: Summer by the Sea by suespms at Splitcoaststampers The girl in this set obviously shows this "rule" to a T. I think some images NEED this "rule" and some you could get by without if designed properly.
This is a big deal to me too!!! I have to have things positioned right or the card, scrap page or whatever just isn't fun to look at to me. If something feels wrong then I can't give it away! I think I heard this a long, long time ago as a general "rule" of thumb so to say and at the time it made so much sense to me. My daughter was her yearbook editor several years in highschool...she followed this "rule" with all the photos in the book and won awards for her work...so I guess it's something to really consider when you are doing your layouts and cards.
I follow this rule. Here's why: the image's line of sight is what we are directed to naturally, so if he/she/it was looking away from the subject, so will we. Which creates confusion and an unappealing layout, unless done intentionally (ie subject looking away as something behind him sneaks up)
Oh, man! I just HAD to read this thread. :rolleyes: I hadn't really thought about this before but now I will "take notice." Just started scrapbooking so this tip will come in handy. Thanks.
I always follow this rule. I also took art and was taught this. I follow this rule when setting up cards, scrapbook pages, hanging pictures in my home, etc.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by annascreations
Okay, so it's a basic design thing! So I'm not just being weird. I was just noticing in the "always" gallery... I prefer the cards that have more room for the bird to look at. Always by gaylestamps at Splitcoaststampers
But it doesn't seem to matter much when there is an equal amount of space on either side of the image. Is that just me, or do you notice that too?
Wow! I really did prefer the cards where the bird was more to the left giving the bird more to look at.
I think an exception to the rule would be a bird in flight. It would appear free like it's about to fly off the card.
Anyway, I didn't realize there was an actual rule, but I think I always followed it instinctively or felt things were off when it wasn't followed.
Images facing a certain way
