For many scrapbookers, creating an attractive, visually appealing layout can be frustrating. Maybe you’ve never had any formal art classes or you just don’t have that special knack for knowing how to make things ‘look good.’ You are not alone; page design is one of the biggest challenges for scrapbookers, both digital and traditional.
Many excellent shortcuts exist – sketches, templates, quick pages, actions – to help you create great pages fast. But what if you want to learn the hows and whys of page design? There are an increasing number of classes and membership sites that can teach you the basics and more.
Membership Sites
These two sites offer design training for a monthly membership fee.
Masterful Scrapbook Design
Cost: $12.50 (US)/month or $130 (US) + $12.50(US)/month for access to the complete library
Details: Receive access to a multimedia selection of instructional materials (PDFs, audio, video) and invitations to live webinars, all focused on a new theme each month.
Paperclipping
Cost: $47 (US) for the first six months, $28 (US)/year to renew
Details: Get immediate access to over 180 video tutorials that teach you creative and design techniques for scrapbooking. Examples are predominantly paper, but many of the concepts are universal.
Specific Classes
These classes from industry experts, both coming soon and self-paced, can add to your repertoire of design skills.
Scrapbook Page Layering
Cost: $32 (US)
Dates: January 24, 2012 – February 14, 2012
Details: In this class from Debbie Hodge you will learn why to layer, when to layer and how to layer on your paper and digital scrapbook layouts. Explore layering for backgrounds, foundations, focal points, and embellishments.
Ten Tips for Better Type
Cost: $14 (US)
Dates: February 2 – 15, 2012
Details: This course with Cathy Zielske provides a solid foundation of type theory that will translate to a better understanding of how to create readable, engaging type on a scrapbook page.
Digital Clustering Like a Pro
Cost: $10 (US)
Dates: self-paced
Details: In this class from Aaron Morris, you will explores the techniques that make attractive element clusters work including the rule of threes, the visual triangle, creating balance, using white space to enhance design, resizing and re-purposing elements
Scrapbooking on the Grid
Cost: $10 (US)
Dates: self-paced
Details: Learn from Wendy Smedley and discover how to use a grid structure to create beautiful pages for any scrapbooking style. You’ll gain an understanding of how to spot grids and how to adapt them as a foundation for photos, product or white space.
Cluster Embellishing
Cost: $12
Dates: self-paced
Details: In this course from Nic Howard you will find out how easy it is to create something visually effective and learn techniques to help you create similar beautiful clusters of embellishments time and again.
The Art of Poster Design
Cost: $51.19 (US)
Dates: February 6 – 26, 2012
Details: Learn the start-to-finish process for creating posters for both digital and four-color presses utilizing everything from highly stylized stock photography to type to brushwork to complete each unique poster.
Get Help for Free
If signing up for paid instruction isn’t an option for you, there are many ways to improve your page design for free.
- Blog posts – Scrapbooking blogs like The Daily Digi and Get it Scrapped often teach about page design.
- Mentorship – Volunteer your time for a digital designer in return for advice on your scrapbook pages.
- Buddy up – Inquire in the DST forums about finding a critique buddy to help improve each other’s work.
Do you know of other opportunities to improve your design skills? Let us know in the comments!
