subject: Rule of Thirds - How It Applies to Hand-Stamped Cards [print this page] Rule of Thirds - How It Applies to Hand-Stamped Cards
The Rule of Thirds is a design technique used by many photographers and artists, when working with a 2-dimensional item. However, it applies to hand-stamped cards, as well.
Basically the Rule of Thirds works like this. Take your card front and draw 4 imaginary lines on it, 2 vertical and 2 horizontal, spacing them evenly. These gridlines divide the photo into 9 even sections, 3 across and 3 down. The Rule of Thirds says that the most important elements of the card should lie either on the intersection of any two lines, or along one of the 4 gridlines. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, but a guideline. Your elements don't need to be exactly at these locations, but they should be close to them.
There are times when you might place your focal image at the absolute center of your card front. Often, this is boring and almost rigid. A symmetrical design can be appealing, but rarely when it's symmetrical in all directions. How much more interesting the card looks when you place the focal image just a little to the left or a little to the right of center. Or, a little above or below center. It adds something almost unexpected to the card.
Why does The Rule of Thirds work? Scientists say that when looking at a photo or piece of art, the human eye is naturally drawn to the positions where the gridlines intersect. But that is only part of it. A card front often carries a message to the recipient. Using the Rule of Thirds, you can cause the eye to travel from the top left to the bottom right corner of the card front. This is the natural eye movement for people who read English. To draw the eye on this path, use the main stamped sentiments and images on the card. Minor focal points (i.e. smaller or lighter images) can assist with this eye movement, as well. And, while you're drawing the eye across the page, be sure to let it stop, or rest, where gridlines intersect!
There is another guideline, related to the Rule of Thirds. It says that the important elements should be in three or fewer sections of the grid. These items should be bigger, or darker, or matted, or have some kind of embellishment, to make them stand out from the other images and sentiments on the card front. Background images can fill in more sections of the grid. Consider a card, with several large, equally colored flowers covering 7/9 of it. This would be very cluttered. Your eyes won't know where to land first and where to move next. The total look is messy and unsettling. On the other hand, three large flowers would stand out and be easy on the eyes.
Thus, the Rule of Thirds is a way to create good balance and flow in your card design. So, next time that you find you're stuck and "can't fix" your card design, try applying the Rule of Thirds. Draw an imaginary grid. You'll fix the problem quicker than you can imagine!
