An Exercise in 'White Space'

[Lillias]

Recently in the Weekly Challenge there was a challenge about ‘Negative Space’.

In digital scrapbooking we talk about ‘White Space’ same thing really.
Here is my effort – feel free to join in please…
Kit used: ‘Grace’ by Peaches and Cream Design from escapeandscrap pic from pixabay.

[cats4jan]

Very elegant. This is a perfect approach for a special photo - really draws the eye exactly where it needs to go.

BTW - I'm a really big fan of offset framing.

[Lillias]

Kit Used: Man Oh Man by G&T Designs from EscapeandScrap
Pic from Serif
Vintage Harley Davidson brushes downloaded from WOWbrushes.com

[Sydney]

Very cool BillieJean. I must attempt one of these. From memory of one of the first scrapbooking projects you and Jan put together, I should start off with a 3600 x 3600 pixel canvas - is that correct?

[Lillias]

Thank you Sydney. Yes that's right most scrapbooking pages are 3600x3600. I really look forward to seeing your page and I hope you enjoy making it.

[Sydney]

Here is my go at this. I was trying to go for a simple Japanese proverb using just the sunflower and the katakana characters (although I really have no idea what they actually mean). As always I value constructive criticism as to what you guys and gals think would make this a better image for what I am trying to achieve.

[Lillias]

Thanks for joining in here Sydney.

I love your placement of the sunflower. It is quite eye catching there on its own and makes for quite an evocative image in my opinion.

As for the katakana characters I think your shadowing is too strong given the distance of the shadows from the characters. Generally speaking the farther the shadow from the object the paler it would become. Personally speaking I would bring the shadows much nearer to the characters the emphasis being on the characters and not the shadows.

In digital scrapbooking shadowing is a whole subject on its own and I would say it doesn’t necessarily follow what would be the rule for photography.

You ask for suggestions to make your image better… off the top of my head I think if you found a nice eastern style font and incorporated just a few simple words of a proverb say to the left of the characters and perhaps running vertically and not horizontally that would look nice. Keep the font relatively small (but not tiny) to preserve the ‘white space’.

Just remember there is no right or wrong way of doing these things. At the end of the day it’s what you like that counts not what I or anyone else says. Just enjoy yourself experimenting.

[cats4jan]

BillieJean has given Sydney some great advice. I agree about the shadowing and I can't seem to make a layout without a title or journaling, so I'm on board with that idea, too.  

I really love that background paper and for me, it works because I get an Asian vibe from it.  A perfect choice for the subject matter.

But, like she said in her last sentence, it's what you like that counts.  There is no 'right or wrong' about digital scrapbooking and collage making.  

Often we look at our project and know there is something not quite right, but we have no clue what needs changing.  Getting input from others really helps the creative process.

[Sydney]

Thanks very much BillieJean and Jan for your sage advice and recommendations. I definitely want to leverage off your expertise given the extraordinary images you both craft. When I get a moment I will do a couple of tweaks on it and repost it.

[jackscrap]

Hi Sydney, should the Japanese characters be vertical? Pardon my ignorance if this is not the case. I think the colours all go well together, but I would like to see the characters a bit larger and maybe repeated in the background, with a very low opacity, which probably defeats the purpose of 'negative space'....LOL. BillieJean and Janice spot on with their advice.

[ritage]

I don't suppose this really qualifies, but I am intrigued with the idea of the sparse layout and wanted to try it.

[Lillias]

Great to have you join in with us Rita.

I’ve been reading up about this subject recently and I’ve been surprised at some of the examples given of white space, in light of which, I will have to re-consider my thoughts on the subject.

I would say you are safe enough with your lovely page Rita. The eye is drawn quite naturally to the flower and butterfly and the background you have chosen fits in just fine. Oh and nice effect on your flower. I like your word art too and how you have placed it.

For those who are interested in this subject, this article in the link below is geared more toward the scrapbook layout artist and contains lots of information and ideas all about the use of ‘white space’.

debbiehodge.com/2012/03/creating-white-space-with-5-scrapbook-page-foundations/

[Lillias]

Enjoy Summer kit - DigiScrapBooking.ch
Brushes - Dirty Grunge by simply alice
pic from pixabay

[ritage]

BillieJean, an interesting article, thanks.

I really love your last one, it's beautiful.

I've been thinking about more simplification.

[cats4jan]

Great examples of white space. I'm going to read the article and then find a photo to work with. Great Challenge, Billie Jean