Sunday 2 February 2014

Clean & Simple cards - tutorial

Hello, I decided that today instead of posting a new cards I will post some common rules of how to make a clean and simple cards. I was meant to do it long time ago for my ladies from classes but I did not have time before. So here are the basic principals of CAS.



The most dominant element in the design is known as a focal point. The focal point of any card is the component that receives the most emphasis, typically the greeting or main image. The first step in a well-design cards is to decide what the focal point will be. this will be the whole of what the card should say to the recipient.

Composition, the arrangements of elements, is a key factor in effectively spotlighting the focal point of a card.while the RULE OF THIRDS  is commonly used in the composition of photography, it is a powerful tool when designing clean and simple cards as well. the RULE OF THIRDS makes use of theory that the human eye is easily drawn to certain areas of design.When using the RUSE OF THIRDS , imagine the card base being divided into nine equals sections using two verticals and two horizontal lines. The four points where these lines intersect are the strongest focal points. The lines themselves are the second strongest focal points. When choosing the collations of elements, position the most important elements, or focal points, along the lines or near the points at which they intersect. 



Another popular version of the RULE OF THIRDS is sometimes referred to as the ZONE METHOD. - go to the link to know more about it.
  



When starting out with the RULE OF THIRDS, a great tool to have on hands is a piece of acetate the size of a common card base, which has been marked with the grid pattern. This can be placed over the design to aid in the placement of elements. The easiest way to create a grid like this is to print out a grid the desired size and trace it onto the acetate with a permanent marker. 

When deciding the location of a focal point, it is also important to consider the use of space. One of the most popular elements in clean and simple card designs is the rule of WHITE SPACE. While many clean and simple cards are white, this actually has nothing to do with the term white space. Every design has what is known as positive and negative space. Positive space is that which contains the focal image or other embellishments. Negative space is everything else, or white space. This is the area devoid of visual elements, where the eye can rest. When a card contains a considerable amount of white space, it gives a clean and uncluttered feel, thus the “clean” in the term clean and simple. Learning to make use of this unfilled space and looking at it as part of the actual design is probably one of the most important – and, many times, most difficult – concepts to grasp in this type of card design.


After deciding on the location of the card’s focal point, the next step to consider is the use of lines. One of the earliest concepts taught in mathematics is that a line represents the path between two points. Lines signify motion and direction. When viewing a card, lines are the natural succession of how the eye is drawn across the design. The lines are many times portrayed through the use of embellishments or fine details. Lines can be formed through items like ribbons, scored lines, gems and even arrows. Lines  can created in a variety of ways such as straight, zigzag, curved, diagonal or circular. The lines can also vary in thickness and designs. The main factor in not the shape of the line but the fact that it is used to lead the eye to the card’s focal image. 



........ next is about repetition, color , patterns and texture ...... CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE INFO

 

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