Front Cover Planning &

Development:

Front cover flat plan development of image & masthead:

This is my unedited image taken onto Photoshop. I then blurred out the background by using the lasso tool and then selecting the background with a feathered edge so it doesn’t look harsh. I did this to see if I wanted to cut my model out from the background or just blur it. I came to the conclusion that I would prefer to cut my model out, as I feel that the background is a distraction from her, and also I want my cover lines to stand out easily. I placed the masthead behind her head, as this is how I will place my masthead on my final design. It also gave me the skill of cutting out only her head, and having to place the text behind so it looks professional – to help to do this, I used a blur and eraser tool to make it look natural. As you can see on the right, this image shows the gradient of the blur, and how it hasn’t blurred out a certain part, as I forgot to select it. I think it looks a little messy, and not entirely professional looking. Although, I am happy with this experiment as I have further developed my skills on Photoshop to edit an image.

Front cover flat plan development of image & masthead:

This is another experiment I have done in order to develop my front cover. Instead of using Photoshop, I used Microsoft Word to design this flat plan. I used word as it was quick and easy to get a general idea of how my magazine could look, as Photoshop takes me longer to use. I have used my edited image here, and have also decided to use a darker background – this makes her stand out and catch the eye of the viewer. On the background I have use a gradient effect from black to grey – I really like this effect and I think it adds depth to my front cover. You can see that I have cut out my model badly, but when I do this on Photoshop, it’ll be a lot neater and professional looking. But again, I have placed the masthead behind her head, creating layers adds yet more depth to my front cover & the bold serif white font stands out easily against the dark background. If I were to use a dark background, all my cover lines would have to be white, which means they may not stand out well if they overlap onto parts of my model, as she is bright and colourful. Overall, I’m not a massive fan of this design, as it looks quite unprofessional, and un-neat, I also think I would prefer to use a lighter coloured background.

Front cover flat plan development of image & masthead:

Here is one of my final experiments for my front cover. I have edited it and then made the whole thing black and white. The masthead is in the font that I’ll be using for my final front cover design, so it’ll give me more of an idea of what my final outcome will look like. Again, I have used Microsoft Word to produce this as it’s quick and easy to work, so I can get the general idea of my design. I really like the gradient grey to white background, as I think it creates depth and adds a something different in comparison to a plain white background which I think would look boring. It also helps my model to stand out, which will help catch the readers eye. I don’t like the monochrome effect, as I think it looks too boring and doesn’t let my model stand out. Also, the line around my artists won’t be there when I create my front cover on Photoshop.

Front cover flat plan development of image & masthead:

Here is my final flat plan design for my front cover. Again I have put this together on Microsoft Word hence the grey line around my model. When I produce this on Photoshop I will make sure I cut her out neatly and smoothly, to ensure it will looks as professional as possible. Aspects that I am happy with are my gradient style background, as I feel this creates depth & a different ‘look’ for my magazine, and will therefor entice my indie niche market. Since I have edited my photo of Siob Love – the image is bright and bold and stands out easily, which is what I have aimed for against the plain background. The masthead also stands out well as it is against a white surface meaning it looks bold and identifiable. I plan on taking colours from Siob’s playsuit to use for the typeface for the cover lines, so at a glance my front cover will tie together. Also the colours on her playsuit match the ones that were most popular within my research, meaning that it will further appeal to my target niche market. So, from here I will develop this chosen design by adding cover lines and a main cover line to support my feature artist. I will also continue to make any changes to my magazine that will help it appeal further to my niche market.

Front cover flat plan development of image & masthead:

Above, you can see the development of my design from the last one. This has still been produced on Microsoft Word – but I have begun to add cover lines, my first one being my main cover line. This is the font I had chosen from previous research.

The design on the left has been produced quickly on Microsoft Word, and as this was my final design – I have recreated the design on Photoshop, using layers to create, so I can edit

and remove anything I want. You can see the difference between

these two designs via the smoothness of the image and also the line surrounding my model. On Photoshop I took

time to cut her out neatly and so there wouldn’t be a harsh line surrounding her. I have also added in my main cover line

design – ‘Siob Love’, as this is my artists name. I am not 100%

decided on if this is where it should be placed, but in the

mean time I am happy to experiment with it there.

Microsoft Word Version Photoshop Version

Above is my Photoshop developed front cover. You can see it looks a lot more professional than the Word Document. I am happy with how my design is developing. I now just need to add cover lines and some colour to make it more appealing.

Front cover flat plan development of image & masthead/amendments:

Here you can see that although I have tried to cut out my model carefully on Photoshop, by using the Lasso Tool, I have deformed part of her arm. I plan on placing text in this area, which may fix this fault. But otherwise, I will cut out my model again to ensure I do it properly, and this doesn’t happen again. Or, I may also fix this my using the eraser tool, and buffer tool to create a smooth and soft line.

Above, I have begun experimenting with where I would be placing my dates. I have left a gap above my mast head for this reason. Although, I will not be using the serif font as it doesn’t comply with the rest of my design, but I have just used it to place in it a way that I will get an idea for what the rest of my front cover may look like. Being above the masthead makes it clear to the reader how much the magazine is etc., as people usually read left to right, and top to bottom.

Front cover flat plan development of image & masthead/amendments:

Here you can see that I have edited part of the Siob’s head. I have done this to make the line look smoother and so it isn’t so harsh against the masthead behind her. To do this, on Photoshop I used an eraser tool combined with a feather tool on 30-38% opacity. I have done this so it wouldn’t rub out parts of her hair completely, as creating an even harsher line if it was on 100% opacity brush. I have also applied this technique to other parts of her body if the line is too harsh and doesn’t look very professional, as I feel this improves the appearance of my magazine significantly.

Microsoft Word Version Photoshop Version