F.L - Album Cover Practice

What tools/techniques did you use in Photoshop?

• I used the size tool to resize my image, and make it the appropriate size. I also used the crop tool to make sure my image was square, which was more appropriate for an album cover.
• I used the contrast and brightness adjustment tool to edit my photo, as well as the colour balance (red, green and blue).
• I also used the filters to add a layer than changed my photo into green and pink, this filter was called…
• Lastly, I used the text tool to overlay the ‘album cover title’ onto my work, and then using layers I made the title blend into the same texture background as the album cover. I also altered the colour so it was a faded grey.

What style or effect were you aiming for? 

• I was aiming for an ‘alternative’ effect, which used abstract colours.
• The using of contrasting colours created this ‘individual’ look and supported my aspiration of creating a cover that would be used by indie bands.
• The simplicity also supported the style because it focused on the minimalistic star construct that indie bands have, where the focus is heavily on their music and not print image etc.

What was challenging about this task?   -- What advice would you give yourself to prepare for the print task next year?

• This task was challenging because it was the first time we had properly used photoshop, therefore I was learning as I went along, which slowed down the whole process.
• Another challenging aspect was converting my original image into something new, because I wanted to change it dramatically from the start photo (because the original photo was quite plain).
• I would say next year to ensure that I have an end goal in sight, because I planned this as I went along, which meant I had no time estimations and no specific idea for which filters I wanted to work with.