GCSE Graphics Unit 1 Year 10

27 Mar 2013

Colour Wheel, Pigments and Swatches

Acrylic Portrait - Ellie Goulding

Acrylic Painting of Lemons Using Violet, Yellow and White

Acrylic Painting of Lemons Using White and Primary Colours

Magazine Cover Evaluation

What was the theme for the project?
The theme for my project was fashion, the inspiration came from other magazines such as 'ELLE', 'Vogue' and 'Cosmopolitan'.

How have you developed your ideas? How did your work change through the project?

I started with a picture from the internet of a model, I then changed it to a picture of myself that I had taken for the main focus for my magazine. I also experimented with different text style and sizes, seeing which worked best to suit the style of my magazine. I changed where abouts text was placed on the cover and the boxes and borders surrounding it. Throughout the project I tried to make my magazine look professional and interesting.

How many photographs did you take? Do you think you should have done more or less?
I took around 15 photos, which is enough I thinkas there was enough to place onto the contact sheet, where I circled the one I chose and explained and annotated why I didn't use the other photos or why they weren't suitable or good enough to go onto the magazine cover.

What artists or designers have you looked at to help and inspire you?

I have looked at other magazines which must have been designed by other people so I suppose I have looked at them for inspiration. I also looked at other pictures of models that photographers had taken and looked at how they have used the back lighting, how they have dressed the model and what sort of makeup they have used.

What materials, tools and techniques did these artists use?

For the magazine covers, they had used a variety of different colours, text styles and fonts. They all mainly used about three colours, where one had been taken off the photo of the model, to make it all tie in together. For the photo of the model, they had been dressed accordingly for the theme of the magazine, with appropriate lighting so you could see them. Most of them had also been photoshopped to get that 'perfect' look, and to get the amount of colour and contrast right.

How have your skills developed during the project?
My skills have developed quite a bit especially on photoshop, I know how to do a lot more things, such as change the contrast of a picture, also how to change the background of a picture. I have also improved my photography skills, as I had never really taken photographs of models or people before, for a magazine.

Are there any aspects of your studies that you wish you had explored further?

I probably should have taken a bit longer to try and perfect it, and also to make it look like a proper magazine that would interest people to buy it. Also, maybe look at more different fonts.

How have you used formal elements such as line, tone, colour and shape?

I have used about three colours throughout my magazine, to make it all match. I have also used boxes underneath my text to make it stand out better, and slanted writing to make it fit in.

What materials did you use, and why? Did they work successfully?

I used mainly the computer, on photoshop, I used many different tools, such as the gradient tool, magic wand tool and the paintbrush. I also got pictures from the internet to make my magazine look more appealing.

What meaning and messages did you want to convey and were you successful?

I wanted to create a fashion magazine that would attract young teenagers mainly girls as it is a fashion magazine. I think I was successful to a point as i think it would persuade people to buy it, but I think I could have done a bit more to it, to make it look more professional.

Are you happy with your final piece? Are there any elements you like in particular?

I'm happy and not happy, I'm happy because it looks like a magazine cover, but I think I would like to have had a bit more time to change it around to make it look like a real magazine that I would actually buy.

Is there anything you would change? Why?

I would like to change the Masthead and change some of the pictures on it as I don't think they look very professional. Maybe do more research and look at other magazines to look for other slogans and words around the front cover.