The above is the first screen shot that I took when beginning to start the front cover of my music magazine. Starting of with the background, I used a gradient to create a faded effect consisting of black fading to grey and eventually white. This created a pop/rock theme and would also create a great contrast with the image and pops of colour used in the headlines. I chose black rather than a brighter colour as it would allow the main image to pop and not be too overbearing. This colour, as indicated from my market research, it quite popular amongst pop/rock genres. I then used the font Futura Condensed Extra Bold for my masthead and coloured it red using the colour mixer. I also added the date underneath the masthead, as a typical convention of magazines. The reason that the masthead is located in the left-hand corner of the page rather then in the centre, is that this is typical of music magazines, such as Q and NME, which is the look that I am going for.
After establishing a background, I spent time editing my main image. I have chosen a mid-shot for the main image as I fell that it exhibits a sense of style, which helps to give off the persona of the artist, and also makes it distinct from a fashion magazine. This image in particular is engaging as the artist gives direct eye contact to the reader. I made sure that the image was seperate from the background so that I was able to manoeuvre it around and change the background colour without it being affected. To do this I used the magic background remover and the magnetic lasso tool. I used tools such as spot healer to remove and spots and blemishes which in turn evened out the skin tone, producing a better overall image.I also made use of the burn and dodge tool to create m desired effect. As a convention of a magazine, the artist, especially with women, always look polished and well groomed, particularly with their makeup. Therefore, using the right tools meant that I could achieve this look successfully.
The next process was adding features of a magazine, such as a barcode and headlines. Using the text button, I inserted headline using the font Impact, which seemed most appropriate for the magazine. I also used three different colours; red, black and white. Originally, I was intending to use blue, as this looked too over bearing, I limited my colours. These headlines were then placed on top of the image, adhering to the notions of a magazine. I had to use the colour white for 'The 10 best' headline as using black meant it was unreadable due to the black colour of the image.
As I wanted the main feature to stand out, I thought of a creative way to do so. I used red lipstick to write the name of the artist, Kasia and then added a lip kiss, which I then scanned onto the computer and placed on the cover. The texture I thought went well and created a contrast, as well as the fun writing and matching red colour. I felt that this technique helped to create am image for the artist and also made the cover more enticing as it gave a more informal feel. I then added a banner using the square tool and filled this in with new British artists.
Finally, I added a competition at the top of the page, creating a circular shape and outline using the shape tool. The reason for my choice of colour in regards to the white circle, it that the colours pop and will be one of the first things that the reader sees when purchasing the magazine. I also highlighted 'Midnight Fire' to make the page more visually appealing.
Overall, I have used many tools and effects using different application software in order to attain my desired look and to adhere to the typical conventions of a pop/rock magazine.
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