artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,352
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:10 GMT
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Post by artbabe on Jun 24, 2019 15:22:46 GMT
Yes, I know I am starting a lot of threads but I'd love to see this board move more quickly (I check here every morning) so I thought I'd try to help it along. I'd love to see more people start threads on different topics.
Okay, today's topic: photorealistic papers.
10+ years ago they were very popular and then they went away (except of Joann paper pads, etc.). They looked very dated to me but I had success using them to matte photographs. Now they seem to be coming back- I've seen several collections that have at least one photorealistic paper in it.
Do you use these papers? The ones with a large image like one big snowman on them are pretty useless to me- I have no idea what you do with that. I do love a brick wall or a wood grain paper, though. I have a whole pile of brick, wood, water and sky papers that find their way onto pages.
What do you think of photorealistic papers?
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Post by Linda on Jun 24, 2019 15:32:53 GMT
I found them hard to use 10 years ago and I doubt they'll be easier to use today. I can manage a brick wall or rocks or sand or water sometimes though
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Post by scrapcat on Jun 24, 2019 15:37:36 GMT
I used to be somewhat "against" photorealistic papers, but have sort of embraced them a bit again.
I like some of the designs by Reminisce brand. I like their food depictions, so beer suds, coffee beans. I also picked up something relating to lake life, which had the old wooden dock image.
I like to capture more candid photos, so when traveling I will print a online image or use a post card of the monument/statue/park/etc instead of using a photo I took. They are generally much better (clearer, closer, great lighting) versus trying to waste my travel time getting the perfect photo of something that probably doesn't add as much to the memory as the people do. Often I will take photos of the flowers or landscaping around a sightseeing spot, or maybe an intricate window design.
So yes, photorealistic papers have found their way back into my scrapbooks.
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Post by hop2 on Jun 24, 2019 16:22:54 GMT
Like you I do well with the brick, grass, stone, wood papers. Other stuff maybe but not often.
Although, now that I’ve taken up pocket scrapping, maybe depends on the size of said item ( snowman etc )
I’ll have too see what happens to come out.
I did super well with my grand mother’s pictures with the photo realistic papers like rusted bolts & rusted car parts. I could use stuff like that again. Having generations of family in construction it just fit and the rust color was neutral and gender neutral so it was versatile.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Sept 30, 2024 21:25:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2019 16:23:53 GMT
I really dislike them. I will use the more nature ones, wood, water, stone. I used a giant sunflower for a yellow mat the other day. But by and far I really cannot use them. My mom gave me a HUGE paper pad of them, and I know she spent a lot on it. So there it lives on my bookshelf and I try to use as much as I can. I am sure that paper stack will outlive me.
Also (ETA) I think it is great for you to post a lot! One of the things I liked about this MB was that it seemed pretty active.
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Post by hop2 on Jun 24, 2019 16:25:31 GMT
I like to capture more candid photos, so when traveling I will print a online image or use a post card of the monument/statue/park/etc instead of using a photo I took. They are generally much better (clearer, closer, great lighting) versus trying to waste my travel time getting the perfect photo of something that probably doesn't add as much to the memory as the people do. Often I will take photos of the flowers or landscaping around a sightseeing spot, or maybe an intricate window design. I did this with my lighthouse gift album and the interiors of the lighthouses. It worked very well
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Post by lasteve1 on Jun 24, 2019 17:56:19 GMT
I've never liked them or really understood the appeal. I feel like if I want a large photo, I will just print one I took myself. I do use full page photos for the background of layouts (I have a large format photo printer), but if that is what I am doing I am going to use a photo I took myself. If I wanted the photorealistic paper look I could print one of my photos onto cardstock rather than photo paper. But if I want a paper background, I want it to look like paper... not a photo printed on paper. But then again, I tend to use lots of solid white cardstock backgrounds and simple patterned papers, only rarely will I use a busier paper so I'm probably not the target audience anyways...
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jun 24, 2019 18:43:51 GMT
I love that there are more threads. Keep 'em coming! 😁
I love realistic texture papers. Wood, brick, tree bark, sand, rope, twine, etc.
I sometimes can use a paper if it has a single image, like if it was a snowman on the left hand side of the paper, I could mat a photo and put it on the open side of the paper.
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Post by joblackford on Jun 24, 2019 19:30:36 GMT
I really dislike them. I will use the more nature ones, wood, water, stone. I used a giant sunflower for a yellow mat the other day. But by and far I really cannot use them. My mom gave me a HUGE paper pad of them, and I know she spent a lot on it. So there it lives on my bookshelf and I try to use as much as I can. I am sure that paper stack will outlive me. Also (ETA) I think it is great for you to post a lot! One of the things I liked about this MB was that it seemed pretty active. My method for using up something like that, assuming it is single sided - use it to make envelopes with the pretty stuff hidden on the inside. Makes for a nice surprise for the person getting mail (assuming you send mail!) and each envelope uses up most of a sheet of paper. Bonus points if you make a little notecard using some of the leftover strips of paper as a little accent down the side. You could turn part of that stack into a gift set of notecards and matching envelopes for someone, if you have the inclination and energy Jut maybe not for your mom or she'll buy you another pad! lol! And I agree with you on liking lots of posts and an active message board. And not finding much use for photo realistic papers. They're not really my thing. Especially not in giant paper pads.
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Post by justjac on Jun 24, 2019 20:43:47 GMT
I had a giant pad of these papers ten? years ago. I did find them hard to use unless is was an entire sheet of leaves or something like that. I do use wood or metal ones these days, but not actual scenes.
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,352
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:10 GMT
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Post by artbabe on Jun 24, 2019 20:46:13 GMT
I actually buy the giant pads when they are cheap. I take them to school- the kids love doing collage projects with them. If you ever have any left take them to your friendly neighborhood art teacher.
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Post by Embri on Jun 24, 2019 20:49:48 GMT
Textures I don't mind, but actual pictures? Hard pass!
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Post by lisacharlotte on Jun 25, 2019 0:34:54 GMT
I find them confusing. If I'm using them on a scrapbook page, will people think I took the photo on the paper as well as the photos scrapped. Competing photos is confusing to me.
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pilcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,144
Aug 14, 2015 21:47:17 GMT
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Post by pilcas on Jun 25, 2019 0:47:16 GMT
I bought several of those many years ago and have only used two.It is very hard for me to use them. One was an impressionist image of London and I used it as the cover page for a London trip. I just used thickers to write London 2010 and called it good. The other was a desert scene and I put a 4x6 photo of our family in the desert. I have seen designers use them skillfully but that’s as much as I can do.
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Post by 950nancy on Jun 25, 2019 0:51:49 GMT
I bought some that are of Las Vegas. I will use them. I have seen people use gesso and tone them down and they looked awesome. I have also seen people use them as a background and then cover them with and 11 x 11 on top.
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Post by refugeepea on Jun 25, 2019 2:37:05 GMT
I do love a brick wall or a wood grain paper, though. I have a whole pile of brick, wood, water and sky papers that find their way onto pages. What do you think of photorealistic papers?
I have a difficult time using them because I typically scrap smaller sizes; divided page protectors or 8.5x11. I remember years ago they had realistic paper border strips. I still have some pumpkins and pebbles. I can see myself using those again.
Smaller patterns like the ones you listed would be easier for me.
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Post by KikiPea on Jun 25, 2019 2:45:51 GMT
I don’t like them. I do like wood grain, some bricks (mostly the white/white washed ones), but the rest like rocks, hay, food, full scenes...I just can’t use them. They don’t appeal to me at all.
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 25, 2019 2:47:01 GMT
I have used a few, but generally do not care for them.
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Post by infochick on Jun 25, 2019 2:49:45 GMT
I have a few that I got for travel layouts. I’ve had some success covering all or most of a photorealistic paper with vellum and then building my layout on top of that. Similar to the gesso it tones it down.
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Post by grammadee on Jun 25, 2019 2:49:52 GMT
I like some of the all over designs: a cloudy sky, a field of grass, a brick wall, snow drifts, sand meets surf. Never know what to do with larger detailed images like landmarks or a giant snowman, unless I can cut the edge of that image with an xacto knife and slip the corner or edge of a photo under it. I usually have either lots of photos on a page or one large photo, so working around a large image on the pp makes it difficult.
I also don't like the trend of printing photos in b&w so they don't clash with the artwork on the papers, but bold colours on the papers tend to drown out or clash with colours in the photo.
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Post by dudleypippen on Jun 25, 2019 2:50:17 GMT
They definitely look dated to me. Other than wood grain and a scrap of a water one I don’t think I’ve used photorealistic paper in over a decade. I like how trends generally cycle in and out, but won’t be sad if this one doesn’t become popular again.
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Post by chaosisapony on Jun 25, 2019 4:08:47 GMT
For some reason I find myself drawn to the one in Heidi Swap's Wolf Pack collection that is just an overhead photo of a forest. I can see that being kind of neat to use in conjunction with some other papers I have for a camping layout. I haven't bought it yet though because I just don't know if I would actually use it. Photorealistic papers have never been something I have liked.
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camcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,110
Jun 26, 2014 3:41:19 GMT
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Post by camcas on Jun 25, 2019 4:43:38 GMT
I buy one or 2 pages to use in my travel albums. For example a beach sunset paper with a palm tree for Hawaii, Golden Gaye Bridge for SF Otherwise ......no
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Post by myboysnme on Jun 25, 2019 11:04:44 GMT
I LOVE photo realistic papers! I use them as though they are a large photo behind my own photos.
I also noticed quite a few lines coming out with photorealistic papers. I always find ways to use them that enhance my pages and continue to do many layouts incorporating them to help tell my story.
Here is one I did not too long ago. It is cut down to 8.5x11. My son sent me a few photos from a conference. The logo on his shirt matches the photo realistic paper, and I think it really tells the story much better with that paper and his photos. He loved it!
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Post by pas2 on Jun 25, 2019 11:18:07 GMT
I do love a brick wall or a wood grain paper, though. I have a whole pile of brick, wood, water and sky papers that find their way onto pages. What do you think of photorealistic papers?
I have a difficult time using them because I typically scrap smaller sizes; divided page protectors or 8.5x11. I remember years ago they had realistic paper border strips. I still have some pumpkins and pebbles. I can see myself using those again.
Smaller patterns like the ones you listed would be easier for me.
I loved those border strips because they worked great on 8.5x11 layouts. The images were realistic but scaled down to a much more useable size.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,316
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 25, 2019 13:40:32 GMT
My DDIL uses large photos for backgrounds in her photo books, and I like the look when she does it. For one thing, it is part of the vacation or whatever she based her photobook about. I am less fond of the photo realistic papers in my own traditional scrapping. It would depend on the layout and the pictures, though, and what papers look good with them.
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,352
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:10 GMT
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Post by artbabe on Jun 25, 2019 14:22:03 GMT
I have a difficult time using them because I typically scrap smaller sizes; divided page protectors or 8.5x11. I remember years ago they had realistic paper border strips. I still have some pumpkins and pebbles. I can see myself using those again.
Smaller patterns like the ones you listed would be easier for me. I was purging scrapbook supplies yesterday and I found some of those realistic border strips! I really like them- I'm putting those in my "old stuff I want to still use" pile.
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kate
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,582
Location: The city that doesn't sleep
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 3:30:05 GMT
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Post by kate on Jun 25, 2019 15:58:07 GMT
I don't like them, but myboysnme could change my mind. I remember being at a LSS and finding a sheet of 12x12 spaghetti paper. Not an instagram-worthy plate of spaghetti and meatballs, but a close-up of just the messy, nasty spaghetti - like what your dining room floor would look like after a toddler threw a bowl off the high chair tray. Who wants to look at that?! I stood there in the aisle and laughed at the ridiculousness of the scrapbooking industry.
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Post by myboysnme on Jun 25, 2019 18:34:05 GMT
I remember being at a LSS and finding a sheet of 12x12 spaghetti paper now see if I was doing a layout about spaghetti, I would totally use that paper! I will have to post some more that I have used.
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Post by cupcakepeddler on Jun 26, 2019 2:32:55 GMT
I am personally not a fan of them as I find them hard to work with. I do have a sheet or two of wood panelling or wood grain and maybe one of grass that came in a school set but I prefer a more cartoon and bubblegum pink style of paper so the realistic stuff is difficult for me to wrap my head around.
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