Notebook Cover

The purpose of this assignment was introduce the class to Adobe Photoshop. We had learned several skills in class and had to implement then for this assignment.

Magazine cover

This assignment was to show the skills we learned in class using Adobe Photoshop. We were told that we had to select a favored magazine to use as an example. The rules to this assignment were to use the skills taught to us during class. Those skills included using the magic wand tool, and continued use of the magnetic and polygonal lasso tools. Our first step was to extract the magazine logo and paste it on our magazine cover in the correct size. Then we wrote down possible headlines for our magazine, after which we took several pictures of ourselves ad selected the one that best fit our headlines.

My magazine cover looks like a decent magazine. It has a black to white graduate background. The picture of me that I selected was of me standing against a wall, I added a filter to that image to make it look like a sketch and relate it to the colors of the image to that of the background.

Through my magazine I’m trying to bring an emphasis t my skills as a guitarist and how I’ve progressed over the two and a half years that I’ve been playing. I’m doing so by giving an “interview” with my friend and fellow guitarist, Luis. I also show that a well known band, My Chemical Romance, opens a gig for me.

According to the rubric, I feel my completed artwork could have been better, because, even though it illustrates what I’m trying to convey, the picture and filter I used is blurry and doesn’t show many of my features. I would like to improve upon my selected background and selected picture, to better convey my message. Maybe using more symbolism, using a view of space showing my unlimited possibilities, and using a picture of me looking up into the sky.

Lyrical Triptych

This assignment was to create a series of images that would reflect lyrics of a chosen song. The images had to reflect the lyrics by using specific skills shown during class. Those skills included changing the opacity of images and adding filters to the images. The rules were to use the stated skills and formatting the image sizes to fit a canvas size of 5 x 7 inches.

My triptych used simple images to convey the ideas that I interpreted from the lyrics of the song I chose. The song I chose was “A Reason for Broken Wings” by A Skylit Drive. My triptych looks like a scene out of a sad movie. The Adobe Photoshop tools I used included filters to add a color overlay and changing the image opacity from the layers window. In panel 1 I chose three images, one of an eye, two soldiers in trenches, and a large graveyard, to illustrate the lyrics of the song, by changing the opacity on the graveyard scene to reveal the soldeirs. In panel 2 I selected two images, one of a sunset, and a silhouette of soldier, and related them using color overlays to the first image. In my final panel I reused one image, the silhouette of a soldier, and a picture of a sleeping woman, and using another color overlay related them to my first panel.

I first viewed images from the Internet and chose an image that best represented a sad sunset. I then added a filter to create the illusion of rain. That set a mood of sadness that fit the song. I interpreted the mood of the song by listening to the song and reading the lyrics at the same time. I continued that mood by selecting images that I felt would best fit the song, then adding a color overlay that resembled colors in my first triptych.

I have had a fun and interesting time working with Adobe Photoshop so far this year. I enjoy using it in class, because it allows me to express a mall part o myself in my class work. I believe that my work has been successful, because it uses all the tools shown in class and properly reflects the lyrics of the song. I would select stronger and more defined images if I were to redo this project.