Layout Anatomy

Anatomy \A*nat"o*my\, noun; pl. {Anatomies}. [F. anatomie, L. anatomia, Gr. ? dissection, fr. ? to cut up; ? + ? to cut.] The act of dividing anything, corporeal or intellectual, for the purpose of examining its parts; analysis;

Welcome to my first session of Layout Anatomy! This feature of the blog will, hopefully, give you some tips and tricks for making layouts that you love. It won't be a complete dissection of every layout, but a brief tip or two about the creation of a given layout. I will also try to include some photography tidbits in these postings as well.

Disclaimer: I am of the mindset that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' when it comes to making layouts. So the things I share here are not 'rules' on how to make a great layout, they are just little glimpses inside my mind as I create a layout. I believe in the sentiment 'do what you love and love what you do'. I have learned, however, that some people know what they love when they see it on other peoples layouts, but struggle when it comes to making their own layouts. So, my hope is to help you in your own journey to making layouts that you love.

Photo Notes: Take notice of not only your subject, but the surroundings and background as well. Sometimes simple changes in your position or zoom can mean less editing later.

When I first started taking photos of my daughter splashing in the puddle, part of our playground area was in the frame of the photo (left). This would have been distracting later, if I had decided to use the uncropped photo on a layout. It could be cropped or cloned out in Photoshop, but instead, I took two steps to the left, changing the angle from which I was shooting, and zoomed in a bit more. This removed the distraction from the rest of the photos (right).

Layout Notes: When picking color schemes or style for a layout, look at photo details for inspiration.

If I had to pick color schemes by simply looking through my supply stash, I don't think I would ever get any layouts done, as I would find myself overwhelmed by the choices. My typical inspiration for colors comes directly from my photos. In this case, the only thing that had a lot of color, besides the greens in the trees, was my daughters rain boots. Not only did they inspire me with their colors, but the whimsy, doodled circles inspired the style of my layout as well.

Happy Scrapping! Hope your day is blessed! 

"Jump for Joy" digital scrapbook layout by Christy VanderWall uses:

• The Scrappin Cop - Real Ric Rac
• Christy VanderWall - Copy & Close
• Christy VanderWall - File Save 1
• Christy VanderWall - Supply Tracker
• Kevin and Amanda - Highland Perk Font
• HG Designs - Arrow Brushes
• HG Designs - Doodle Line Brushes
• Royanna Fritschmann - Autumn Graces
• Royanna Fritschmann - Christmas in July
• Royanna Fritschmann - Pajama Party
• Christine Mortimer - There & Back Alpha