Thursday, 7 April 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Justifying Design Choices.
The first two of these covers are 'Q' magazine. I have chosen these two covers as style models to justify my design choices as they both have a border around the page. I feel that this almost frames the cover and the main image of each artist.
The first cover of John Lennon is framed because of the special Anniversary edition of the magazine in memory of his 70th Birthday. You could say also that the premiere issue of a magazine is also a special Issue and therefore this could link.
On the GaGa cover of 'Q', her jeans that she is wearing are the same colour as the border and therefore they could be described to blend in with one another, just like the cover lines on my own magazine cover, lining up and being the same colour as the border.
The third magazine cover is the Pete Doherty issue of 'Spin'. This cover has very minimal cover lines, much like my cover.I feel that by doing this, the image of the artist speaks for itself and is not overpowered by cover lines surrounding,this is the same on my own cover and therefore I feel that this choice is justified and proven to be appropriate for a music magazine.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Experimenting with editing.
Here, I wanted to show the stages of how I have manipulated this image I have taken before using it on my contents page.
The initial inspiration for changing the hair colour on my model was to resemble her to the artist Florence Welch. I thought this could be a clever idea to incorporate as an almost spoof in a way to make the magazine more realistic and believable.
To begin, I duplicated the layer in Photoshop, took the 'Clone Stamp' tool, and using 'Alt' on the keyboard, I could select an area of the skin and duplicate it to give a smoother complexion on the artists face.
Then, I took the paintbrush tool and on a low opacity, painted over her existing hair with a red colour that I selected from another image of Florence using the Eyedropper tool, and then layered and neatened the lines before adding shadows and highlights with the 'Burn' and 'Dodge' tools.
I then adjusted the lighting curves on the page to lighten the image and enhance the shadow and contrast slightly before playing around with adjusting the colour curves and saturation of the image.
Before finishing, I added shadows and highlights using the 'Burn' and 'Dodge' tools again before adjusting the 'Exposure' of the image to give a faded, and professional look.
Experimenting with editing.
Here, I have attempted to manipulate my cover image in a similar way to how 'WONDERLAND' magazine have edited their image of Dizzee Rascal on the cover. I felt that, by doing this, I could possibly increase the credibility of a music magazine as well as trying out the editing technique.
Firstly, I adjusted the lighting curves of the image as I had already edited the image previously for my cover, before increasing the saturation almost completely.
I then selected part of the jacket and went into Image, Adjustments, Invert, to give a negative effect of the image, much like WONDERLAND magazine have done on the hooded jacket that Dizzee Rascal is wearing.
I feel that my version of the technique worked well and I like the almost steel-like effect of the artists skin, although I also feel that this could be considered too hip-hop, hence Dizzee Rascal on the cover, with the same editing.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Monday, 28 February 2011
WONDERLAND magazine music covers.
To justify my design choices, I have gathered some style models of covers featuring music artists on Wonderland Magazine, which was a magazine I find to have similar styling and audience to mine.
Wonderland Magzine focuses on music, fashion, film, and youth culture; all of which have inspired me in my design choices for my magazine. The merging of fashion and music is something that I wanted to consider from the very beginning of the course, although leaning towards music as it is a music magazine that I am producing.
I wanted to make my magazine bold and edgy, which in my opinion is shown on Wonderland magazine on every issue, which appeals to an audience like myself.
Wonderland Magzine focuses on music, fashion, film, and youth culture; all of which have inspired me in my design choices for my magazine. The merging of fashion and music is something that I wanted to consider from the very beginning of the course, although leaning towards music as it is a music magazine that I am producing.
I wanted to make my magazine bold and edgy, which in my opinion is shown on Wonderland magazine on every issue, which appeals to an audience like myself.
WONDERLAND magazine Artist Interview-MGMT.
MGMTSinger and guitarist Andrew VanWyngarden is an excitable puppy in human form. Bearded keyboard-player Ben Goldwasser is reserved. Sardonic, even. Together they are MGMT, pronounced ‘management’. The 25-year-olds met in 2002 on the campus of Wesleyan University in Connecticut. United by a love of mysticism, psyche-rock and Technicolor, they plugged in some computers, threw on some fluorescent tunics and started making “strange music to confuse people” at college shows – one of which involved a 45-minute instrumental reworking of the Ghostbusters theme. Now signed to Columbia and headlining tours, MGMT’s anthemic power-pop is beginning to hit the big time. Happily the Brooklyn-based duo are showing no obvious signs of taking themselves seriously.
What do you listen to in the morning?
Andrew VanWyngarden: Bob Dylan is good as anti-groggy music. I don’t like to listen to anything too energetic first thing.
Ben Goldwasser: I listen to Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain album. The first song’s not good for getting fired up to, but the rest of it is.
What music was playing in the house when you were kids?
AVW: I listened to the stuff my sister was into. Pearl Jam, The Grateful Dead, Spiritualized, Smashing Pumpkins. I heard a lot of classic rock through my parents – Neil Young and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young… all that big stuff.
BG: Progressive rock like King Crimson and a little bit of Yes. Some jazz, like Charles Mingus.
AVW: You make it sound like you were six years old and listening to Charles Mingus!
BG: When I was really young I was listening to Talking Heads…
AVW: Talking Heads is great for kids.
BG: So is The Incredible String Band.
If you could teach the world to sing, what would you teach them?
AVW: I think about this a lot. I have this weird dictator fetish. I’d like to take a group of a hundred 50 to 75 year olds and trap them in a gymnasium until they learn every lyric to a Jay-Z album. I’d have to be really mean – like starve them. I like Jay-Z but it wouldn’t be pleasant for septuagenarians.
BG: Remember we saw that show on MTV where they were teaching a choir of old people to sing Welcome To The Jungle?
AVW: That was kind of similar… but it wasn’t a torture thing. They were taking it pretty well.
Where would you be without music?
BG: I’d be living in the woods somewhere. Going feral.
AVW: I’d be a Marine Biologist. That’s what I wanted to be when I was a kid. It’s still the coolest job. I’d live by the ocean just researching squid or something. With a decent-looking wife and dog.
BG: You’d be like that guy we saw on TV who was teaching seals how to paint at Colchester Zoo.
AVW: It’d be awesome to teach some seals to play in the band.
BG: Dogs would be cool.
AVW: There was a Swedish prog-rock group from the late 60s who had a dog in the band. I don’t know what instrument he played.
MGMT’s headline tour of the UK starts on November 5.
Friday, 18 February 2011
WONDERLAND article style model.
KELIS WONDERLAND
Here is an example of a style model I have used and been inspired by to create my first drafts.
The article is taken from 'WONDERLAND' magazine; a mix of music, fashion and culture. This particular interview is being conducted on music artist 'Kelis' and therefore I felt that I could use this to inspire my choice of layout and language choices.
Much like my magazine, the aesthetic could appear with a slight fashion edge although still completely about music and the artist.
The layout is simple, with the use of black and white. I was very much inspired by this when I created my own drafts, the clean cut aesthetic is something I believed to be appealing to my audience and relevant to my music genre and artist.
I feel that the overall look of the artist feature has a slight fashion-influenced look however, I feel that my magazine layout is very relevant and could definitely be considered a music magazine as here is proof of this. I feel that by relating my work to style models that have influenced me, my magazine ideas can be justified and can ultimately fit to the brief.
Here is an example of a style model I have used and been inspired by to create my first drafts.
The article is taken from 'WONDERLAND' magazine; a mix of music, fashion and culture. This particular interview is being conducted on music artist 'Kelis' and therefore I felt that I could use this to inspire my choice of layout and language choices.
Much like my magazine, the aesthetic could appear with a slight fashion edge although still completely about music and the artist.
The layout is simple, with the use of black and white. I was very much inspired by this when I created my own drafts, the clean cut aesthetic is something I believed to be appealing to my audience and relevant to my music genre and artist.
I feel that the overall look of the artist feature has a slight fashion-influenced look however, I feel that my magazine layout is very relevant and could definitely be considered a music magazine as here is proof of this. I feel that by relating my work to style models that have influenced me, my magazine ideas can be justified and can ultimately fit to the brief.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Teacher Draft Feedback.
As Draft Feed Back Sheet Matthew n
After receiving teacher feedback on my first draft, I am very pleased with my mark and the comments given. I feel that now, I have only slight changes to make on the DPS and contents pages; lining up layouts etc. Although on my cover, I feel that instead of having many cover lines, I will keep more to the 'nothing' layout, with less cover lines, much like some magazines that have very much inspired my magazine design.
My blog mark, I am very happy with although I feel that in order to increase my grade, I need to add the work that has been set post-draft and add to some of my posts pre-draft.
Another decision I have made is to add a few posts on style models and examples of music magazines similar to the style of mine in order to justify my design choices. I have a couple in mind that helped me as starting points when creating my first drafts.
I feel that from my teacher feedback, the area that needs the most work is my cover. I feel that from the feedback I have been given, and although I am going to justify my design decisions wirth style models, the cover could possibly be considered a fashion magazine primarily on the shelf and therefore, this could confuse my audience.
WONDERLAND magazine have done many magazine issues, primarily centered around music. If I am going to continue with my current magazine style, I think I will need to edit the cover directed more towards a music direction and take inspiration from the music issues.
I have also made the decision to use the first cover of the two that I submitted as first drafts.
After receiving teacher feedback on my first draft, I am very pleased with my mark and the comments given. I feel that now, I have only slight changes to make on the DPS and contents pages; lining up layouts etc. Although on my cover, I feel that instead of having many cover lines, I will keep more to the 'nothing' layout, with less cover lines, much like some magazines that have very much inspired my magazine design.
My blog mark, I am very happy with although I feel that in order to increase my grade, I need to add the work that has been set post-draft and add to some of my posts pre-draft.
Another decision I have made is to add a few posts on style models and examples of music magazines similar to the style of mine in order to justify my design choices. I have a couple in mind that helped me as starting points when creating my first drafts.
I feel that from my teacher feedback, the area that needs the most work is my cover. I feel that from the feedback I have been given, and although I am going to justify my design decisions wirth style models, the cover could possibly be considered a fashion magazine primarily on the shelf and therefore, this could confuse my audience.
WONDERLAND magazine have done many magazine issues, primarily centered around music. If I am going to continue with my current magazine style, I think I will need to edit the cover directed more towards a music direction and take inspiration from the music issues.
I have also made the decision to use the first cover of the two that I submitted as first drafts.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
First Draft DPS.
DPS
For my DPS, firstly, I had a vague idea of what the layout would look like from my mock-ups. I liked the idea of a larger image on one page, with the text and title on the other. I thought about swapping the pages around, although I felt that it was best that the title of the article was the first thing the reader saw when they turned the page.
There were quite a few images I tried out to be full scale on the page although I came to the decision of using the blazer one against the window. I like how the wall adds lighting, how the artist is large in the frame and how there is a slight bit of the broken factory window in the background without looking too grimy.
For my DPS, firstly, I had a vague idea of what the layout would look like from my mock-ups. I liked the idea of a larger image on one page, with the text and title on the other. I thought about swapping the pages around, although I felt that it was best that the title of the article was the first thing the reader saw when they turned the page.
There were quite a few images I tried out to be full scale on the page although I came to the decision of using the blazer one against the window. I like how the wall adds lighting, how the artist is large in the frame and how there is a slight bit of the broken factory window in the background without looking too grimy.
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