What was the theme for the project?
The theme of the project was to create the front cover of a magazine of a topic of our choice. I chose high fashion as it really interests me and I have seen and read many magazines of this genre. I also already had ideas for a high fashion cover and magazine name.
How have you developed your ideas? How did your work change through the project?
Initially, I planned for my cover to be more of a basic, minimalist design with very little type. However, I decided to use more text to make the cover look less sparse. I originally used a secondhand image from the internet and made the type off-white/grey and a light, dusty pink to match it, but when I changed the image to my own photo, I changed the colours of the type to match that photo.
How many photographs did you take? Do you think you should have done more or less?
I took about twelve photos in total, which was a substantial amount. Although, they were all extremely similar and I feel that I could have taken more, experimenting with different settings, poses and styles.
What artists or designers have you looked at to help and inspire you?
I looked at many different magazine covers of the same/similar genre as mine, such as i-D, Dazed & Confused, and POP. I also visited the Vogue website, to find inspiration for my cover lines and find out fashion news etc.
What materials, tools and techniques did these artists use? Think about lighting and wardrobe.
All of the magazine covers I looked at were very minimalistic and simple. They all used quite unvaried colour schemes and plain backgrounds. The images were the main focus, as they were very bold and close up to the models faces. They were concentrated less on their clothes and more on their faces, makeup, hair and expressions/emotions.
How have your skills developed during the project? Photography and PhotoshopAt the start of the project I still felt quite new to Photoshop, however the further I went with creating my magazine cover, the more I learnt. I learned about editing images, adding shapes and changing the opacity of them. I also learned a lot about photography, lighting and the styles used on different types of magazine covers.
Are there any aspects of your studies that you wish you had explored further?
As mentioned earlier, I do wish that I had explored the photography side of the project earlier in order to develop my skills more.
How have you used formal elements such as line, tone, colour and shape?
On my magazine cover I used a circle shape to add some different elements to the cover, and create a 'sticker' effect. In terms of colour, I used colours that I felt went well together, but also contrasted, and matched the colours of the image.
What materials did you use, and why? Did they work successfully?
I used Photoshop to create my magazine cover and a basic digital camera to take my photos. I think these materials worked well - using Photoshop gave me the ability to edit my images and cover in-depth and really make the cover look professional. I didn't use any hand drawn type because I wanted my cover to look stylish, professional and less 'handmade'.
What meaning and messages did you want to convey and were you successful?
The meaning of my magazine was to inform people of fashion news and new trends. On my cover I attempted to draw in people who would be interested in high fashion and would want to learn about it, and I think I successful in doing so
Are you happy with your final piece? Are there any elements you like in particular?
Is there anything you would change? Why?
I am very happy with my final piece and I feel that it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. I would possibly change some of the typefaces as they are very similar, or change the masthead's typeface to differentiate it from the rest of the cover. I would also change to green type to a different colour, as it may be difficult to read from far away. Overall, I really like my magazine cover and I don't feel that there are any large problems with it or big things that need to be changed.
