The following post reflects how I created the cover in different stages, what software and methods I used and the final product.
I decided to use this image for my album front cover image. The reasons are because the angle is just right, the pose is flattering and although the lighting isn't perfect, it is easy to modify this. The artist also looks as attractive as possible which is an important marketing trait in attracting the audience as they will either wish to look like the artist of be attracted to her, persuading them to consume the album. Also, the background of the image is plain which makes it easier to change into black - the colour I planned for the background colour. The image is exactly the image I had in mind for the album cover - I ensured this by planning ahead and thinking of the suitable, accessible location early. However, the outfit I used is different from what I planned as when looking through my wardrobe I found the dress I wore to my school prom which is elegant and beautiful - exactly the kind of look I wanted for my album cover. I think it works well and creates exactly the right 'feel' to the image.
Stages Of Creating The Album Image
1. Firstly I uploaded the image onto a photo editing website called Picnik. I could have used photoshop for this but I am more familiar with Picnik so therefore thought it would be easier, and quicker, to use this.
2. I used the cropping tool to crop the image to where I wanted. This ensures that the parts of the image i did not need would be cut out and also ensures that it is the correct shape.
3. Next I used the 'doodle' tool to colour the background black. I changed the size of the brush accordingly and blurred the brush slightly to create an even, neat finish.
4. I then used the black and white tool to change the dress and sofa into black and white. To do this I used a brush tool to go paint over the parts of the image I wanted to be in colour.
5. Next I used the exposure tool to change the contrast and brightness to where I thought it looked the best.
6. After using the sharpen tool to add sharpness to the image I saved the image as a high quality JPEG file.
7. I then opened the image into a program called 'Ulead Photo Express' which I am very familiar with.
8. I pasted an image of the moon onto the background of the image to the left, like planned.
9. I then downloaded various fonts from the Internet to try out the artist's name. After choosing the most attractive font I placed and coloured the text accordingly.
10. I used the 'selection' tool to select various snippets of grey clouds and placed these over the moon and over the text to create a misty, eerie feel. I changed the selection tool so that the edges were not sharp and straight but blurry and smudged therefore making the clouds seem realistic.
The Final Image
Here is the final image of the album cover. I am happy with it as I spent a lot of time ensuring every step I took to creating it was done taking time and care. I spent a lot of time experimenting including moving the image of the moon around and the text around to see what would look the best. Small things like such can be very effective.
The image is almost exactly the same as what I had planned and drafted. The dress the artist wears ensures elegance and connotates to her femininity and beauty. The artist looks attractive but the image overall is 'cartoon/fiction like' with the moon been so large and prominent so the posterise effect used to make the artist look slightly 'cartoonish' is effective overall as it also reflects the song - she-wolfs are fiction and the cartoonish effect emphasises this. I particularly like the image of the moon and clouds with the text as I think this is very effective in ensuring a creepy, mysterious atmosphere and looks attractive. Overall, I think the album cover would be successful in marketing the product as the image is unusual and elegant, portraying the artist as being an attractive woman. The overall image reflects the genre and ideology of the song well - the dark lighting, full moon and white 'ghostly' dress are typical of the horror genre.
In creating the rest of the album cover, the back cover, spine and the inside - I studied the conventions of other album covers which I found to be all the conventions I have written on my drafts: The name of the songs on the back of the cover, the producer name, a website, adverts inside the cover.. I also made sure I used the same colour scheme and feel in the rear image and the inside
images.
I decided to use this image for my album front cover image. The reasons are because the angle is just right, the pose is flattering and although the lighting isn't perfect, it is easy to modify this. The artist also looks as attractive as possible which is an important marketing trait in attracting the audience as they will either wish to look like the artist of be attracted to her, persuading them to consume the album. Also, the background of the image is plain which makes it easier to change into black - the colour I planned for the background colour. The image is exactly the image I had in mind for the album cover - I ensured this by planning ahead and thinking of the suitable, accessible location early. However, the outfit I used is different from what I planned as when looking through my wardrobe I found the dress I wore to my school prom which is elegant and beautiful - exactly the kind of look I wanted for my album cover. I think it works well and creates exactly the right 'feel' to the image.Stages Of Creating The Album Image
1. Firstly I uploaded the image onto a photo editing website called Picnik. I could have used photoshop for this but I am more familiar with Picnik so therefore thought it would be easier, and quicker, to use this.
2. I used the cropping tool to crop the image to where I wanted. This ensures that the parts of the image i did not need would be cut out and also ensures that it is the correct shape.
3. Next I used the 'doodle' tool to colour the background black. I changed the size of the brush accordingly and blurred the brush slightly to create an even, neat finish.
4. I then used the black and white tool to change the dress and sofa into black and white. To do this I used a brush tool to go paint over the parts of the image I wanted to be in colour.
5. Next I used the exposure tool to change the contrast and brightness to where I thought it looked the best.
6. After using the sharpen tool to add sharpness to the image I saved the image as a high quality JPEG file.
7. I then opened the image into a program called 'Ulead Photo Express' which I am very familiar with.
8. I pasted an image of the moon onto the background of the image to the left, like planned.
9. I then downloaded various fonts from the Internet to try out the artist's name. After choosing the most attractive font I placed and coloured the text accordingly.
10. I used the 'selection' tool to select various snippets of grey clouds and placed these over the moon and over the text to create a misty, eerie feel. I changed the selection tool so that the edges were not sharp and straight but blurry and smudged therefore making the clouds seem realistic.
The Final Image
Here is the final image of the album cover. I am happy with it as I spent a lot of time ensuring every step I took to creating it was done taking time and care. I spent a lot of time experimenting including moving the image of the moon around and the text around to see what would look the best. Small things like such can be very effective. The image is almost exactly the same as what I had planned and drafted. The dress the artist wears ensures elegance and connotates to her femininity and beauty. The artist looks attractive but the image overall is 'cartoon/fiction like' with the moon been so large and prominent so the posterise effect used to make the artist look slightly 'cartoonish' is effective overall as it also reflects the song - she-wolfs are fiction and the cartoonish effect emphasises this. I particularly like the image of the moon and clouds with the text as I think this is very effective in ensuring a creepy, mysterious atmosphere and looks attractive. Overall, I think the album cover would be successful in marketing the product as the image is unusual and elegant, portraying the artist as being an attractive woman. The overall image reflects the genre and ideology of the song well - the dark lighting, full moon and white 'ghostly' dress are typical of the horror genre.
In creating the rest of the album cover, the back cover, spine and the inside - I studied the conventions of other album covers which I found to be all the conventions I have written on my drafts: The name of the songs on the back of the cover, the producer name, a website, adverts inside the cover.. I also made sure I used the same colour scheme and feel in the rear image and the inside
images. 
No comments:
Post a Comment