GOOD AND BAD MAGAZINE PAGE LAYOUTS

QUESTIONS:
What do you find interesting about the layout? (not interesting)
How does the layout help/not help communicate ideas, text and images to the viewer?
How is font used?
What is it about the layout that catches your eye?

GOOD LAYOUT SCANS

ONE

·         It is a clear, structured and simple layout

·         The clothing being advertised is simple and sophisticated everyday wear, and the layout helps communicate this idea

·         3 different types of fonts are used, mainly for locating purposes (the website and brand name)

·         The simplicity yet sophistication of the layout is what caught my eye – also the fact that there is more pictures, and limited text

TWO

·         The layout interests me as it is a collage which is not overcrowded, and although the pictures are layered on top of eachother, it still appears to be uncluttered and neat.

·         The negative space in the background allows the responder to focus on the clothing and the pictures presented, which helps communicate the product

·         “Under $50” is written in a large bold font to attract the customers, whilst other information about the clothing is in a smaller font

·         The uncluttered and simple nature of this collage caught my eye

THREE

·         The use of text as well as images is what I found interesting about this layout

·         The balanced use of text and images helps communicate the ideas and images presented because not only is there an image, the image is further explained in the text, which helps attract readers and customers

·         Large bold font is used for the titles, however a clear and smaller font is used for the paragraphs

·         This layout caught my eye due its ability to effectively balance the amount of images and text used.

BAD LAYOUT SCANS

ONE

·         This layout appears messy and cluttered and I immediately felt the need to simply turn the page

·         Although the aim of this magazine page is to portray ’50 fashion tricks to try now’, I believe they should have used more pages, rather than squeezing so many images and ideas onto one page

·         The title is large and bold in an italic font, however the rest of the text appears small

TWO

·         I found that this page layout has too much writing and not enough images

·         Due to the large amount of writing, the responders tend to skip this page and continue looking through the rest of the magazine – images speak louder than words, and there is clearly not enough images

·         The font used is small and I believe people with bad eyesight will not be able to read this text

THREE

·         I found that this layout is too cluttered and there is too many images layered on top of eachother, without a focal point.

·         It is hard to communicate ideas with this layout because the eye of not drawn to any specific place and I do not know where to look

·         There is minimal font used in this layout. The font used for the heading is also small and does not appear eyecatching.

How To Create A Brush

HOW TO CREATE OWN BRUSHES IN PHOTOSHOP

• Can scan image and create a brush to use digitally (e.g. beads and sequins)
• Can be done with anything

1. Open image
2. Extract sequin (or part of image  to be used for brush) à cut out with selection
3. Command X (cut it out)
4. File à new
5. Command V (paste)
6. Image à adjustments à brightness and contrast à levels (to adjust image colours so it looks its best)
7. Lense flare to make sequin sparkle, it is a camera effect/glare. Don’t want it to be too bright, just enough to look like its sparkling
8. Filter à render à lense flare
9. Turn background off
10. Delete excess background on sequin
11. Add a tiny drop shadow
12. Double click on layer à drop shadow à and adjust to suit
13. Now we are ready to make brush
14. Select all à edit à define brush preset à change name (sequin)
15. Should be in brush set
16. Open new file à new layer à name it
17. Whatever colour you want, select it from swatches at top, or at colour picker
18. Write text
19. Put text layer underneath brush
20. Reduce opacity
21. Use circle in brush palette to flip or move sequin around
22. Start stamping around your name
23. Have to add stitching
24. Rectangle tool at bottom à line tool (can change thickness etc)
25. At top make sure shape layer is on

HOW TO SAVE BRUSH

1. To save brush palette have to save it into your brush library on your usb
2. Brushes à brush presets à down bottom à save set à name it whatever à then can save onto desktop or usb

Brush Design Of My Name

Beads were used to create a brush, and I used this brush to create my name.

Spray Technique Using Photoshop

Although I did not use my name, here is my example of a spray technique using the word "white".

Finding Repeats Patterns In Photos

This image (sourced from Flickr) has a repeated shoe pattern.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24393557@N00/5484525947/

Using the skills we have been taught in class, we were asked to find the actual pattern which is being repeated. I used the brush tool in photoshop to outline where each pattern repeats.

 

It can be seen that the shoe pattern is a half drop repeat pattern :)

Using Flickr Images

BRICK

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarinsmith/3433609632/

SPOTS

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilikegraphics/3670950613/

DIAMONDS

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kbean/1341702910/

SCALES

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/planter/3228684335/

MIRROR

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotofun4me/5481326381/

3 Repeats Created on Photoshop

STRIPE REPEAT

 

How this was created:

1.       Open new canvas

2.       Rectangular marquee tool > select area > paintbucket tool > choose colour > click inside selected area

3.       Continue selecting areas using rectangular marquee tool, and fill this rectangle with colours

4.       In this case I have created a stripe pattern using the colours from my flower montage, which I created using a section of a costume from my ballet russe sketch.

5.       Save pattern

FULL DROP REPEAT

How this was created:

1. Firstly, create your pattern
2. Edit > define pattern > name it
3. Select all > edit > fill > select pattern you just created
1. File> save as> repeat
2. Combine all layers: select all layers > menu > merge layers
3. Select all > edit >  define pattern

HALF DROP REPEAT

(image cannot be uploaded for some reason)

·           Image > merge

·           Select all > edit > copy (command C)

·           Image > image size (write width, height in pixels)

·           Filter > other > offset > make sure wrap around is selected

·           (F4 – calculator)

·           Split the pixels that you recorded before

·           Option to half pixels horizontally or vertically > ok

·           Image > canvas size (to make canvas bigger)

·           We want to double the size: percent > width 200 > change squares/grid

·           Paste image and move half way

·           Merge layers

·           Save pattern

·           To test: new layer > edit > fill > pattern

To make pattern bigger and bigger

• Make image smaller > edit > transform
• Shortcut Command T also to make it smaller
• Move image
• Copy and paste layer: select layer> command C > command V
• Hover move tool over particular image > right arrow > background copy
• Hold alt key > arrow is white > click and drag to copy and paste (now have two layers).
• Alt > shift > click and drag for more precise copy and make sure they’re repeating
• Merge layers