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Monochromatic Layouts

by Laurie Montague

Scrapping Deck Crewmember

mon·o·chro·mat·ic
adj.

Having or appearing to have only one color.
Of or composed of radiation of only one wavelength: monochromatic light.
Done in monochrome: monochromatic prints and paintings.
Of or exhibiting monochromatism.

Monochromatic…what exactly do we mean by monochromatic? Mono means one and chromatic means color, therefore we are talking about staying with one color. Yet even one color has hundreds of shades and that is where our journey begins. A monochromatic scheme can add elegance to a layout while still keeping things simple and focused on your photos. Choosing which of the hundreds of shades or hues of a color to compliment your layout can seem overwhelming at first. With a few simple pointers, you'll be a pro without effort.

Take a moment to really study your photo. Look past the topic, such as the party, and try to focus in on one special person or item. Here, I really wanted the 'princess' to pop out, and thus pink is my spotlight. My nieces just love pink thus it has a 'twin' meaning!

Choosing the monochromatic range isn't always easy but is where the fun begins. In the Princess LO, I took the easy way out and used a prepackaged pink monochromatic cardstock pack created by Bazzill. I then ventured to my patterned paper stash to find a coordinating paper from my pink section. For those who are color challenged or just beginning, this is a fabulous alternative.

The next consideration is the degrees of shading (or hues) within the color, better known as light, medium, and dark. The farther apart the shades are, the more dramatic the look is.

(**HINT** For those who wish to use your own stash as much as possible, here's a simple trick. Go to your local paint store and collect the paint sample strips. They are set up in perfect monochromatic ranges. Then compare your stash of cardstock with the paint strips to find just the right blend.)

Take a look at these two cards. The small squares are made in a style of scrapping known as serendipity squares. (Cindy's Day Room). Both cards are made from the same source paper. The card on the left is bright and vibrant. The card on the right is soft and subtle. If you are looking for that bold look and just seem to get a washed out feel, try this simple trick. Scan your LO or card into your computer and open into the edit or view picture mode. Now click on the color editing function and change the saturation to view in black and white (really greys).

In each of the two sets below, the card on the left has depth and definition. The one on the right has very little. This all comes through a wider range of hues. Scanning your choices BEFORE you start your layout can save some frustrations later, especially in the beginning. Scan your papers overlapped and then view in greys to see if you have that full range. Often you will find that you have two dark and two or three medium or very light instead of the range needed. Shuffle choices until satisfied.

In my lighthouse LO, I've chosen an array of patterned paper, not easy to do. Utilizing the scanning technique above allows taking away the color, especially with patterned paper, really helping to focus on the hues. When patterned paper is the focus for the range over the cardstock, choose accenting cardstock at the furthest ranges of your color hues, i.e. a very dark and a white makes the strongest statement.

The next level will really spice up any monochromatic layout. Choose an accent color, just one opposite or complimentary color and in very limited amounts. To understand opposite and complimentary colors, employ a color wheel. Color wheels can be purchased at your local scrap or art stores. Using the 6 basic colors as reference, we'll review opposite and complimentary colors in brief.

Opposite colors have no similar elements. Orange ( a mix of yellow and red) is the opposite of blue. Purple is the opposite of yellow; and green is the opposite of red. Complimentary colors have one similar element and are next to each other on the wheel. Purple is the compliment of both red and blue; green is of blue and yellow; and orange is of red and yellow.

In Cookies for Santa LO, my nieces spice up Christmas cookies with green sugar crystals.

Now overwhelming the LO with monochromatic greens wasn't an option. BUT bringing in the green as an accent color was perfect. Just the small touches of green with the accent ribbon and stamping draws the eye right to the lovely green toddler tongues! I then chose the warm compliment colors of gold as the basis to build upon. The final presentation is more subtle than the above lighthouse LO and is better appreciated in grey hues.

I hope you have enjoyed this exploration of monochromic schemes. Have a wonderful spring and see you next month!

Happy scrapping

Laurie Montague
lauriemontague@ssreflections.com
Scrapping Deck Crewmember
S.S. Reflections, Inc.

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