Have you ever created a layout that felt like something was "off" when you finished? Sometimes, a little tweaking with the placement is just what's needed to help the eye "focus" on what you are trying to get across with the layout. The visual arts, such as photography and painting, several time honored rules that help the artist guide the eye when viewing their work. These rules can help scrapbookers as well. The first of these that we will discuss is the Rule of Thirds.

The Rule of Thirds:

The Rule of Thirds is a visual rule used in most visual arts to guide the placement of elements into the most visually pleasing position within the work. To apply the rule, mentally divide your work into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. The places on this grid where an intersection occurs are places where the eye will be naturally drawn to. Consequently, items placed in these locations will naturally be the focus of any work that they are featured in.

Look at the layout below. It offers two examples of using the rule of thirds. The focal photo is placed in the upper left hand corner of the layout. Notice how the eyes of the photo are placed as closely as possible to the intersection itself. The result is that this photo clearly becomes the focus of the layout.

Title: Flowers are Beautiful
Products used: Digital Kit (April Free Kit, Two Peas in a Bucket, designer Rhonna Farrer)
Software (Adobe Photoshop Elements 5)
Inspiration from Somerset Digital Studio Magazine

Now, look just at the photo itself. The eyes of the photo are located in an intersection of the Rule of Thirds. In photography, one way to draw the viewer into the photograph is to place the eyes in a "sweet spot" or intersection of the photo.

The Rule of Thirds does not just apply to pictures. If your journaling is what you want the viewer to focus on, make sure you have it located close to an intersection. Same thing for your funky title treatment or really cool embellishment collage. The next time your layout needs a little something and you can’t figure out what it is, be sure to check the Rule of Thirds.

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