ericahite Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I've been wanting to ask these questions for awhile. How do you create your layouts? Do you start with a sketch, a favorite photo, a concept, or do you pull things onto the page and play with the elements? In other words, do you experiment, or do you have a plan in mind? Do you look for inspiration? Is there any part of the process that frustrates or stumps you? And how do you get beyond those obstacles? When do you know you're finished with your layout? Thanks!, Erica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varanda Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 i start with papers, then find a photo. i never do sketches, i just wing it and am always surprised where it leads me. sometimes i have to stop doing the same thing and push myself to try something different. it's easy to get in a rut. so i look at magazines, galleries, books, catalogues, anything to get new inspiration. i do make sketches when i design product-----my favorite thing to sketch on? post-its! i love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TechnoDiva Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Fun question! It'll be cool to see everyone's answers because everyone does things so differently. I start with my photos. I decided what I'm going to scrap then find the paper to complement. I then start experimenting with what size and position I want for the photo (I LOVE the undo button!). Once I have the photos pretty well positioned I start choosing elements and then I just add until it looks right. A lot of times I resize and reposition my photos a zillion times before I think I like it. I did this when I was paper scrapping too, but it's sooooo much easier to reposition things when you're not using glue! LOL Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angleigh Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I usually find myself in the situation where i'm starting with the kit first, but I do love starting with photo first then searching something that's just perfect for it. For me it's getting the photo(s) placed first then I work around them. Paper next then lastly embellishments. I've been known to grab sketches or find another layout that inspires me when i'm in a rut, but by the time i'm done mine usually looks nothing like the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momentousangel Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I like starting lo's usually with a photo and then I usually go from the photo as far as colors etc. Not really do I have a plan in mind until I figure out the colors I want to use for the lo. Usually the only way I know I'm done is when I figure I've run out of room, or ideas, whichever comes first, lol. I've tried using sketches a few times but quickly gave up on using them when I came to the conclusion that I like the freedom of figuring out how to lay everything out, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heart*scrappin Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I'm fairly new at this, but if I have a great picture, I start there - and if I get some gorgeous wonderful pp, I look for a picture to use with it! : ) I always have something in mind when I start, but it never ends up the way I envisioned ... the lo sort of takes a life of it's own... I just go with it! If I hit a snag and can't decide what to do, I leave it alone & come back to it later but it's always in my mind, how to fix it or rearrange it LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisThao Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I'm like Vic. If I have a wonderful photo, then that's my layout inspiration and it's usually easy from there. Sometimes I have a great kit to work with and that's my inspiration for a new layout. Sometimes layouts come together particularly by themselves (love that); and sometimes everything in a layout rebels against me and after 3 hours or so, I still can't get it work together. I like looking at artwork and ads for inspiration too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScrappingForever Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Like others, it all depends. For instance, these last two layouts that I posted about my dad, those totally started with the words first. I *had* to get those words out. (Oh, and I knew I wanted to use dinny's new Sage collection!) But then I found pictures to go with. Other times, it's all about the pictures, and the emotions it evokes in me. And then I find paper to match that emotion. I'll either use journaling or a quote to tell the story. Other times, it's an assignment, and I'm working with a certain set of papers, and have to figure out what story I want to tell, what pictures will go with. These are often the hardest LOs to do, because I'm not necessarily starting with an inspiration of some kind. I very rarely sketch first. Oftentimes, if I'm having trouble pulling things together, I go to the pages I've pulled from mags. I tear out pages all the time with ad layouts that catch my eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jemmia Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 i usually find a pic then trail through all the files and search for papers transparencies brushes and embellishmetns to match and pull them out on multi page. then i decide which ones i lll use and disregard the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scraplikecrazy Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I start with a sketch, but usually I find a layout in a magazine, an ad, a picture, interior design mag, something like that where I like the layout and colors. then I sketch out a possible layout. I save these for future reference. Then I start working digitally with the backgrounds and elements. I often have layouts without pictures. Eventually, I find the perfect picture(s) to go with it. Sometimes, the pictures happen before the layouts, and I work around the pictures. But always the sketch comes first. Okay, always is a very strong word, because i NEVER ALWAYS do ANYTHING. But, that's my general formula. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SingPraises Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 I'm a newbie & have finished very few layouts, but the ones I have finished have started with a quote or Bible verse and pictures. I then matched the backgrounds and such to the quote or the photo. I have many ideas for future projects where I was searching through kits and found one that would perfectly match pictures I have previously taken. I never have a layout plan in mind unless it's a scraplift. I've learned this hobby (and PSE4) almost entirely though trial and error, with the help of tutorials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Student4Life Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 I tend to start with the picture then find/make the background, elements, bits and pieces to complete it, but I think I'd like to change because I'm falling into a rut with layouts. And usually once I'm happy with a layout I never come back to it, but it might take more than one sitting to do so, especially as I'm still learning a lot and need to think about what's missing and then how to add it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritstoner Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 I have a look through my papers to see what I've got and then look through my photos to get inspiration. Sometimes a photo or series of photos just jump out at me. Other times I decide later on that the paper just doesn't work and have to go searching again LOL. Very haphazard way of doing things. Occasionally I will see an emellishment and immediately think of a photo. Not very comfortable using embellishments just yet though so its definitely trial and error. I've just purchased some of the torn edges templates in an attempt to be more creative and use more than one background - Theres just so much to learn it can seem a bit overwhelming. I also like looking at the gallery to get inspiration and wonder if I will ever be so brave to put so much journalling on my layouts. My collection of layouts are so varied its obvious I'm new to this and haven't discovered my own style just yet! As to when do I know if its finished - Is it ever finished? Every layout I have I can find something to tweak if I wanted to. Some layouts have 3 or 4 versions lurking on my computer just in case I decide I prefer the earlier version! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needmath Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I'm a newbie at this! So far I've started with a kit and I'm building an album using just that. I want to make it as simple as possible. As for the layout itself, I started by just sort of doing the same thing I've always done using paper, but as I look through the gallery and through magazines I'm inspired to try different things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandiev Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Well, it depends! When scrapbooking products that I know will be shown off here at SG, I start with the product, then find my photos. I tend to just design it all myself, but when I get stumped...and just can't come up with any good ideas, I often turn to sketches (both from others and ones I have created on my own). When I am not trying to showcase a particular SG product, I usually start with my photos -- and then find my papers and elements (but even then, I still use SG products most of the time so I guess it doesn't really matter!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapsoflife Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Pictures. It always starts with the pictures. Even on the adv or color or paper challenges, I find the picture I want to use first and build from there. When I paper scrapped all the time I would occasionally use sketches as a way to get me started, but even then I found the pictures first then made them work. I will occasionally make a sketch before starting a layout digitally, but that's if I've got a certain idea in mind and away from the laptop or something. (And I'm with varanda: post-its rock lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwillfly525 Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Being the anal retentive person that I am I have to scrap the pictures in the order they were taken. So some times my photos will sit for 6 months just because I don’t want to scrap a certain event. But I can’t make my self skip it and go back to it later. So I start with the pictures (which are in chronological order even down to the hour) and go from there. Yes, I know I kneed help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyB Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Wow, what a cool topic...and loved reading all the different replies... As for me, I'm all over the board... No rhyme or reason, so many things spark my creativity... On any given day, it could be a particular photo...or a fantastic kit/colors...or a wonderful LO I saw in the gallery...and I just go with it. I scrap in no particular order...not even chronologically. One thing is for sure, I don't scrap unless I'm inspired...which usually doesn't taken much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syndee Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 I do the same as Val- I start with the paper and then find a photo. I tried to do a sketch once! LOL!! It turned out completely different than the sketch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprinklz Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 For me, it matters what I'm working on. Often times I have a theme or color combo in mind and work from that or in the case of Mandy's class, go with the lesson and build from there. Sometimes, I get an idea and sketch it out with no current plan to use it. I keep a spiral notebook with all my sketches and notes in it - I can just skim through it and find a wide variety of ideas. I tried using post-its and small notes but would find them months later behind the desk. And other times the inspiration strikes and things just build from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelsMomJo Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 I NEVER sketch. I don't really even like to. It's frustrating. I either start with a photo that I want to scrap and then choose papers and embellishments that will complement it, or I find a kit that I really want to use and go sifting through my photos for one that fits. For the actual layout, I open about a zillion files of papers and embellishments in Photoshop and then start playing around. Eventually I get something I like. For inspiration, I look at layouts that I really like and try to figure out what it is that I like about them. Then I apply those principles to my own layouts. Since I became a digiscrapper (only about 2 months ago), I have seen my work evolve. I even design my own papers and embellishments sometimes. Joanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindy 1942 Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Most of the time I start with my photo, and then I search my files for papers, alphas elements etc. And of course there has been times I ended up in our boutique. I keep playing around moving this and that adding and taking away, when I get stumped I physically leave it alone for awhile but always end up thinking about it no matter what I am doing. Then there are those times after browsing our gallery I get a lo idea or see how someone has used a certain kit and take it from there. Most of all I do a lot of playing until it comes together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kitiekat4U Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 i'm like cindy. hee hee. start with a photo then start digging till i find something that hits me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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