How I Designed My Contents Page

After I filled in some information for underneath each caption with the page number and what features in it. A small bit of writing of what is included in that particular section. On the 2nd of February I got the opportunity to go to one of Taylor Swifts concerts at the O2 so there I took a photo of the venue so that I could feature it on my contents page. I then added it to my cover and adjusted it so that it fitted in the pink box. 

I then changed the blend too on the solid colour layer, and then began to rub out out everything but the t-shirt I wanted to make look a deeper blue. Next I changed the capacity so that the blue looked brighter and more vibrant. I had an idea to make the background of my contents page to be of clouds, I tried to do this manually by making my own clouds with brush tool but I found this affect to not look very good. Instead I opened up an image in my files and looked for a landscape image that had a lot of clouds present. I then used the select tool, copied a section if it and then dragged it behind my model. Then I added the draft text from the draft I wanted to used and moved it onto the top of my model. 

Using the burn tool, I adjusted the settings too 8 in size and 35% hardness (36), I went round the edge of the eye to soften the edges of the colour adjusted eye. To make the pupil look more noticeable and darker, as the adjustment made it appear paler, I went to Match Colour and changed the luminance and colour intensity (37). I then did the same steps to the right eye (38). After that I then used the burn tool again to add to the dark eye shadow and to make it smother and more defined (39). For the next shoots I'm going to change the colour of the t-shirt, in (40) I added a solid colour over the top that I wanted to change the colour of the shirt too.

After doing the lashes on the left eye I then proceed to do the same to the right eye (31). After that, I then duplicated the original layer again and drew around the eye with the path tool (33). I then pressed right click, make selection and changed the pixel to 2 (34). Next to went to adjustments, then levels, and adjusted the blue levels. By increasing it like in the picture above (35), the eye colour appeared more of a vibrant blue colour.

Next I decided to make my models eye lashes more defined and noticeable. To do this I duplicated the original layer so that I was able to edited on top of the image (26). I then choice a brush diameter of 1 pixel (27, I then changed the hardness to 100 so that it would be a solid line (28). Next I zoomed in on the drawing and started to draw the eyelashes in (29). Lastly to make the eye lashes more natural and not look pixelated I used the eraser tool on a low hardness and rubbed around the top of the lashes and the middle of the eye (30).



Using the same steps I added pink colour layer for the lips of the model, as you can see in the steps above.

I changed the order of layers so that the solid colour was on top of all the layers, I then changed the blending option to overlay (16). I then began to rub out the colour everywhere except the skin that was on show (17). I zoomed in closer to make sure that non of the colour was on the t-shirt (18). Next I zoomed on the face and removed the colour from the eyes and lips so that the layer didn't discolor the eyes or lips (19). After that I changed the opacity so that it didn't look too dark and gave her a more natural tone (20).

After that I then selected just the guitar by using the quick select tool (11). I then copied this as a new layer so that I was able to only edit the selected guitar without changing my model (12). Next I went to layer - adjustments and then selected levels. I changed the levels so that the guitar appeared the same colour as the guitar on the front of the cover of my magazine (14). Then I decided I wanted to change the colour of my models skin. To do this I added a solid colour layer and chose a suitable colour (15). 

After adjusting my model I then used the levels so that she didn't look grey, as this made the colours look stronger in the image (6). After that I added a new layer and unlocked the layer I was editing my model on (7). By doing this I was able to rub out the background (9). I then zoomed in close to get the background around my model and fingers (10).

First of all I opened the image I wanted to use for my contents page. I decided to use the liquefy tool to make make her look smaller against the guitar I was using (2). I then saved this and reopened the images again. Next I put the original image behind the edited image. By doing this I was able to rub out the face of the edited image. As I didn't like the edited models face as the tool make her look slightly deformed. (3,4,5).

Draft Contents Page 2

Contents Page Draft

This is one of my mock draft ideas. I looked at the contents pages I researched and it inspired me to incorporate some of the ideas into this mock up. I like this draft contents page because the organisation and structure of it is pretty simple and effective. It doesn't look too crowded, and it shows the information clearly. The colour theme also matches the front cover which refers to the front and keeps the continuous theme.
Underneath the captions I will write a little bit of writing stating what the page contains and what the reader is expected to see on those pages. The page numbers will be placed in the yellow dots. The artist in the picture will then link to the caption to the left.
To improve this design I may add the page numbers next to the captions to make it a little clearer. Also I may add some writing underneath the title of the page.

This contents page idea was inspired by the Spin magazines contents page that I researched. I decided to manipulate their contents page and use a similar structure as I thought theirs was effective and suited my style of music genre. I like this contents page design as I like how the image takes up the page and shows the importance of the artist. By having only a single image on the front, shows that she is the main feature of the magazine. Due to the image being in colour, I chose to limit the colour on the text as I didn't want this to over power the image. Also as there is a lot of colour in the image, there isn't any need really to have a lot of colour from the information. To improve this design I could change the text style and colour of the quote as it is difficult to read and it doesn't really stand out due to the choice in colour. Also I would add the extra information under the captions as well as make the'On the Cover' box smaller.

Retaken images

Looking at the images I took last time, there was a particular pose that I wanted to retake. I retook these images because I thought I could use these my double page spread or my contents page. I had my model wear the same clothes and make up, so that she didn't look different to my front cover photo. I may choose one of these images for my final work.

Media Language of a Contents Page

Media Language of a Double Page Spread

Contents Page & Double Page Spread Ideas

 

Feedback & Planning

Feedback

Looking at my feedback, I will look at the planning section of my blog and make changes to improve my grade for my blog so far. I will add photographs to my blog to show the range of photographs I took and then which one I came to the conclusion of using. Also I will include drafts and the different ways I arranged my cover.

In the construction part of my blog I will look at including more photographs of my model and the different techniques I used on my final cover. Mainly I will use screen shots of my progress throughout making my final cover.

The main area that pulled my grade down and needs looking at is the development and showing my images that i took for my cover. By resolving this, my grade should increase and make my blog more fluent to my final piece.

Planning

Looking at the time I have left from January 16th - February 14th, I have two sessions a week to make changes and make improvements. Also I will have time outside of these sessions, hopefully I will do more out of these sessions. During this time I will re-take my images, so that I have more to choose from and better quality images. I will then have to reproduce my draft cover, and this time I will look at the layout, text colour and title of my cover. Also the photograph on the cover will be better and the layout will be easier to arrange.

From the 16th-23rd, I will add images of my model in different positions and I will look at including the manipulation of my front cover. I will then look at research of my double page spread and contents page.

Then between 23rd-30th I will look at producing draft contents pages and double page spreads. Hopefully with the research I have done for possible ideas I will then be able to produce my own.

Afterwards I will look at my cover again and review it. I will make final changes to it so that it is at a high standard. I will choose possible final contents page, I will make changes and progressions to make to an equally high standard to my final cover page. While producing all this I will show my progressions throughout to gain extra marks. In order to what I have to achieve:

1. add photographs of model to blog
2. add progression of my final cover
3. add additional drafts of my final cover
4. Research contents page ideas
5. Produce a draft of some possible contents pages
6. Produce contents page
7. Research double page spread
8. Produce drafts of double page spreads
9. Produce double page spread
10. Review all three products
11. Evaluation