Using Color Theory to Create Harmonious Digital Scrapbook Pages

I am obsessed with color. I have very strong reactions to different colors, some add lots of stress to my life and some are so pretty I want to eat them (and they probably aren't the colors you're thinking of*). As a designer I love working with different colors and putting them together to see how they look together. Some color combinations are a creativity super boost and some will instantly halt a project. Why this happens seems to be mostly some sort of color magic, although color theory does exist, so I thought I would take a minute to look into it for digital scrapbooking.

One of the fundamental concepts of color theory is the color wheel. The color wheel shows the relationships between different colors and is made up of three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow), three secondary colors (green, orange, and purple), and six tertiary colors (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple). Understanding the color wheel is crucial to creating harmonious scrapbook pages.

Color Schemes
There are several common color schemes that you can use in your digital scrapbook pages:

▼ A monochromatic scheme uses different shades of the same color, creating a cohesive and calming effect

▼ An analogous scheme uses colors that are next to each other on the color wheel,
creating a sense of unity and often found in nature

▼ A complementary scheme uses colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, creating a bold and dynamic effect.

▼ Finally, a triadic scheme uses three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel, creating a balanced and vibrant effect.

When choosing colors for your digital scrapbook pages, consider the mood or theme you want to convey. Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow create a sense of energy and excitement, while cool colors like blue, green, and purple create a sense of calm and relaxation. You can also use color to highlight or contrast certain elements on your page.

▼ Sharon-Dewi creates a vintage vibe with the neutral colors she chose for this layout.

▼ The pastels on this layout feel like they complement a newborn well.

▼ The bright and happy colors of this layout complement the smiling face in the photo.

Applying Colors
Once you've chosen your color scheme, it's time to apply it to your digital scrapbook page. You can use color in a variety of ways.

▼ In this layout by Maia, she matches the photo to the layout by making it black and white.

▼ In this layout by AMarie she matches the colors in the photos to the colors in the layout.

Once you've chosen your color scheme, it's time to apply it to your digital scrapbook page. You can use color in a variety of ways, such as matching the photo to the layout or matching the colors in the photos to the colors in the layout. Or you can scrapbook like me and just use whatever feels good. I hope a little color theory has maybe given you a clue about why you use certain colors more, or together. Let me know your color feelings below in the comments.

* Certain shades of blue really drive me crazy, in a bad way, and I don't like to be around them. This is a problem because it's a shade of blue that is very popular with most people and commonly found. Really bright colors, especially in certain combinations will make we want to eat whatever it is, even if it's on my computer.