Final - Front Cover

Change of Colour Scheme

Upon creating my intial mock magazines, we realised that my colour scheme would not be eye catching enough if found on a shop shelf, and is not vibrant enough. So I took this on board and decided I would include an extra colour into the intital colour scheme I was using which was, black, grey and white. This extra colour was red. I chose the colour so that it matches the colour on the electric guitar. From the colour palette above I am now using number 3. I have also decided I will re-edit my photos so that they are normal colour (and not black & white) this is becuase we thought it would enhance the extra colour on the front cover, and make it more attractive. Below are two examples of the different front cover, the first one is my original mock idea, black & white, and the second is my draft which I am entering, extra colour.

Front Page Draft 3

Front Page Draft 2

Front Cover Draft

Colour Schemes - Existing Magazines

Here is another magazine cover, this time from NME. As you can see again they are following a similar style to Q magazine with the black & white. Also included in this front cover is their logo - which is in their recognisable red font. Also NME have included a blue cover story. This is obviously intended to help the magazine & story stand out, but it also helps separate up the page- because without it, it would be boring, and lack that style which I feel that the alternative coloured font adds. I have stated before that I am using NME (and Q) as my inspiration, and what I have noticed from all of their magazines is that they always follow the same colour scheme. I feel this is to add to the consistency, and to help give the magazine an individual identity. I have also noticed that they both follow a conventional colour palette of black, White & Red. Which continues with the consistency theme, and I feel helps give the magazine stylistic feel to it. I have also identified that they usually add another colour (like the above example) to help give the magazine an extra edge. I have taken from my research into magazines, that I will now include an extra colour, or at least change the colours around on my front cover, to try and help it stand out more - to give it an 'extra edge'. However, I must do this with caution, as I want to stick with my simplistic look, and not to divert away from my chosen colour palette.

Colour Schemes - Existing Magazines

Above is a magazine from Q featuring Paul McCartney. As you can see they have produced a simplistic magazine cover, which is something I am hoping to achieve. They have also used the a similar colour scheme I am going to use. Q have used the black & white, however included a splash of red to enhance the immediate impression the front cover will give - especially whilst on a shop shelf. I was originally hoping to produce a similar simplistic look to my front cover, however, now I have produced some mock examples of how my front cover will look, I now feel that my front cover may be too boring, and lacking in vibrancy - which is the same opinion as my teacher. So I have decided I may have to think about incorporating an extra colour onto my magazine cover, such as a red. As I feel this will give the magazine an extra stylistic feel to the magazine, and help attract extra customers.

Golden Spiral - Front Cover



I have used which is what i feel is my best mock up to demonstrate the rule of the golden spiral. The golden spiral is when there is something in the photo leading the reader's eye towards the centre of the photograph. In the case of my front cover and the image I am using, I feel that the way the light is shining onto the speaker, it focuses the reader's eye directly to it, then as the light progresses up the photo (as it gets darker) it leads the reader's eye towards the centre of photo, which is the guitar and the models t'shirt. This is the same in other photos used in my mock ups, this is especially the case with the ones used in my contents pages. This is demonstrated in the cropped photo off of my contents page below, where the spiral follows down the neck of the guitar towards the lighter part of the photo - model's neck.

Front Cover Mock Up 3

Front Cover Mock up 2

Front Cover Mock Up