Cover Sketches

December 1st, 2023

Sketching out the layout covers for this genre was quite easy. I decided that for each of the different covers that I play a bit more with the placements of the lettering and the different images that could be used in an actual skincare magazine. I wanted to keep most of the same elements in each of the covers but also experiment with the formating to make each of them look differently.

Cover Sketch 1:

For this first sketch I wanted to incorporate something that was natural; whether it be fruit, florals, leaves, or something else that connotative to nature. Taking inspiration from other For this sketch I decided to draw a large leaf that covered half of the women’s face. I also tend to associate facials, spa days and face masks with nature, so I wanted to also incorporate that natural-like aspect into the cover. I gave her long hair and a cute little headband with a bow to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I added the barcode at bottom left corner of the cover which is the usual barcode placement for skincare magazines. The masthead of the magazine is almost always found at the top of the magazine and would sometimes even have a little slogan underneath or above it in smaller letters. The coverlines are usually found at the side of the magazine in a way so that it wasn’t hidden by the main image and easily found. Under the coverlines there is sometims=es extra context and words related to coverline to spark a reader's interest in order to get them to either open up or buy the magazine. The Leading Article in the other hand is in a larger font and typically found somewhere around the bottom of the cover. The dateline is usually found under or above the coverlines depending on the space that was available.

Cover Sketch 2:

For the second sketch I wanted a simpler approach to the cover. I designed the main image to be a person that looked like they were in the middle of their daily skincare routine. To do this I simply sketched out a person that was putting on moisturizer which indeed a crucial part to a routine to ensure healthy skin. I also decided to give her a robe as a small touch to detail what a typical outfit would be in situations like this. As for the layout of the magazine, it is pretty much the same as the first sketch with Masthead on top, barcode in the bottom left corner and the leading article found somewhere at the bottom of the cover. The coverline placements are still found on the sides of the magazine but the exact placements are a bit different to match the available space and main directional angles of the main image.

Cover Sketch 3:

The third sketch is relatively the same as the last two sketches which include the same elements. In this sketch I decided to experiment a bit with how the layout is get up. I made it that the leading article is a bit more towards the center of the cover to have enough space to add a coverline or two below it. I will address that this is an odd set up and I do not believe that this is a typical approach. As for the main image, I noticed how a lot of photos that revolve around beauty and the skincare industry are showing of some sort of product. I decided to draw someone who was holding a product as a final potential cover image idea. I wanted to give a very clean, fancy-looking and rich appearance to the image since that is what generally is the aesthetic and idea a beauty magazine and especially a skincare magazine should strive for.

Take Away:

While making my final magazine cover I need to keep in mind the importance of the layout so that things do not appear misplaced. I need to keep in mind that most elements in the layout of this magazine tends to generally stay the same. Masthead ontop(with slogan above), barcode bottom left corner, Leading article at the bottom and the other coverlines along with the dateline typically found on the sides of the magazine.

Table of Contents & Double Page Spread Sketches

December 8th, 2023

Tables of Contents Layout Sketches

Both formats are very similar but this is what i noticed to being the most common. Since one is single paged and the other is double paged there will be some differences. They both follow the rectanglular and square shaped patterned grid format.

Single Page Version

Single paged table of contents are normally done when there isn't a lot of pages and that particular magazine is quite small. Since there is less pages to go over then sometimes the squares that say the page number and coverline may even contain a brief description on what exactly that page's content is. The page number is going to appear more bold and a bit more larger than the other text around. Single pages usually aren't heavy with images and instead have an image or two that takes up a good part of the page. Usually the image is a representation of the content of the pages hence why in the corner (or somewhere else) of that same square a page number can be identified.

Double Page Version

Double paged table of contents are usually done when there is several pages and is when the page number surpasses 50. Double paged usually doesn't have any description like single paged, but instead is heavy in images. The majority of the squares have an image and a single page number. Some squares in the other hand do have one very large page number and next to it are smaller page numbers that have their respective coverline next to it. One of the pages, in this case being the left page from my layout sketch, will have one very large number and an image next to it. This image of course is related to the content that is being shown in that specific page.

I would also like to point out that the images not only are related to the content of the page number it has but it doesn't follow a specific color palette or aesthetic. There could be 2 different images of one being bold and bright and the other being muted and toned down. Images like this can sometimes be seen mixed in. This doesn't raise much concern regarding aesthetic purposes since the backgroud is usuallyy white. The white background allows for a variety while a colors background my restrict the visibility of certain images.

Double Page Spread Layout Sketches

Layout 1:

Layout 2:

Both of these layouts are very similar with some minor differences. The biggest difference is the position in which the main image is located at. The first layout has it in the middle while the other one is located on the side. The position in which the Main Image is at affects the rest of the layout. What is kept the mostly the same throughout both layouts is the fact that there they both heavily reliant in images for the design and they have about one large paragraph and the rest of the paragraphs are kept small and sectioned. Depending on the content, some paragraphs my needs to be sectioned under headings and sub-headings. Smal images may sometimes even have captions to describe its importance to to help us understand what is being looked at. Depending on the type of content being used, an Author's/Expert's note will be included to have validity and reliabily into the story.

Take Away

Layouts of both the table of contents and the double page spreads are dependent of how much content there is in the magazine, and what exactly is that content or story talkigng about. Depending on the specific content, an author's/expert's note may not be needed. When creating my magazine I need to keep in mind how the content itself can affect the layout and overall designs of each and every page in a magazine.

Cover Mock-Ups

December 15th, 2023

Cover Mock-Up 1:

While creating the mock cover I was following the same layouts from the cover layout sketches that I've created. I used the Romelio Sans Font for the masthead which is "BARESKIN" found at the top of the cover. Above the masthead I placed the slogan "Beauty, Ambition, Rarity, Elegance". The cover lines are placed on the side so that they can be seen and not be covered up by the main image. I also have placed smaller little details under the cover lines to give the viewer a little more insight to what the stories are going to be about. I also added the dateline on the side as well since the it usually is on the somewhere in the side just like the cover line. The leading article is also in a bigger font and more bold so that is can easily be seen. It is placed at the bottom since that is where is usually located and also allows the viewer the see it more clearly. Since it does cover a bit of the bottom of the main image, i chose a color that will stand out against the color of the main image in which in this case is the skin tone of the women and the color of the product. I chose a red color for the font of the masthead and the coverlines/details so that it compliments the other colors, fits in the color palette and still stands out so it can be easily read. The barcode is also ofc found in the bottom left corner.

Cover Mock-Up 2:

For this Mock cover I wanted to use a celebrity's face as the main image since something celebrities do make an appearance. The layout is pretty much the same except because of the image being used, the cover lines, details and the dateline are all found on the right side. I made it so they were seperated but at the same times belended with each other.

Cover Mock-Up 3:

For this Mock cover the colors from the main image wasn't as easy to work with since the lights and darks of the background would sometimes make some of the letters disappear. In cases like this beauty magazines would sometimes add a lettering background with a color that matches the color palette but would make it stand out and is able to make the letters a solid color. This helped the words stand out more to be easily read all while not completely taking away the attention from the main image or the mastehead.

Take Away:

After doing these mock covers I now have more practice in how to change up the layout when necessary to make it more smoother and how to handle any issues that I may encounter when placing the lettering over the main image when I need to. I also seemed to gain more practice in matching and complimenting the colors as well.

Table of Contents Mock Up

Janurary 15th, 2024

Seeing that this genre of Magazine especially the more well known ones typically have around 100 pages I decided that it was best to use a double-paged table of contents. This type of table of contents especially with this genre is heavy in Photography. I also want to mention that a lot of the bigger stories do not seem to have their names listed but rather just have a large photo that represents or is related to the topic of that large story. I attempted to have pictures and stories that are related to my genre so it would make it obvious what type of magazine this would be. Colors were hard to use as the background is almost always white and the pictures tend to be very light in colors. I noticed that in a real table of contents the layout is very organized but also also has bits of color that makes the photos stand out without it being too much. A beauty magazine, especially mine which focuses on skincare, is very clean but at the same time is not dull but rather aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The mood of the table of the contents is to catch your eye while being serious rather than a spectacle like a fashion magazine would be.

Take Away:

Although the layout and concept of the table of contents look simple, it was pretty time consuming to work on. I faces several challenges with Photopea as I was learning new tools as I was working. I had to start over several times due to a loss of progress. I also need to keep in my magazine that I may need to use way more photographs. This being said time and organization will be my biggest challenge when creating my final Table of Contents. I do feel as if the color scheme and organization could have been better. Looking at the table of contents it doesn't seem like the yellow accent matches the photos and the overall color scheme. Some of the placement of photos could have also definitely been better as well. I do see a lot of room for improvement and things I notice that does not work with the aesthetic that my genre of magazine demands.

Double Page Spread Mock Up

January 23rd, 2024

While working on this table of contents I had to keep in mind various different things. I had to look at the color scheme of the photos and be able to choose accents and colors that made sense and also is associated with feminity and cleanliness. I also need to keep in mind that my magazines tends to be more heavy in photos rather than words so the layout of this may change. Making the mock up cover seems to be a lot easier than the table of contents. This may be because although it is still organized, the layout is not as complicated.

Take Away:

I think creating the table of contents will be quite simple, but I believe that double page spread may have to become a four-paged spread. I think that a four page spread is more conventional then the double page spread. Four-page spread seem to be a lot more commonly found than just a double pages spread. I also do think that the double page spread does look a little plain compared to other spreads. So for reference i need to keep in mind that i need to play with the colors of the double page spreads more.

Photo Session and Analysis

January 30th, 2024

Photoshoot #1

This photoshoot was very hard to do. Although I usually dont struggle much when taking photos, my biggest challenges became the lighting. Capturing good lighting is very difficult and time consuming both indoors and outdoors. Lighting is supper important for the presentation of the products and people inclusing myself that will be shown in the photos. With some of these photos, editing helps tremendiously allowing them to be usable for my magazine. While I do believe I got some good photos out of these photoshoot session, I also believe that i can take more photos that will be better.

Set-Up For Photoshoot 1 -

For the set up of the photos I used a white sheet, a glass panel, and a sheet of white copy printer paper. I also used my iPhone 13 Pro Max to take the photos. I used my indoor lighting and outdoor lighting from the sun to take my photos. When I was indoors I was simply taking photos in my living room by my large window. When I took photos outside. I was in my front yard using the natural sunlight. For one of my photos which had Rare Beauty products, I used the patches of grass that is also found in my front yard. I edited the coloring of the photos so that it can be brighter. For all of these photos I used my hands to take the photos.

Indoor Set Up: Living Room (couch by window)

Outdoor set up: Paper on glass with product ontop, my hand holding everything while other hand taking photos.

Product Photography:

Headshot/Portrait Photography:

Photoshoot 1# Take Away

I honestly am not satisfied with the results of this photoshoot. I had a few good photos which I will be including in my final table of contents and final double page spreads.

Photoshoot Session 2#

Set-Up For Photoshoot 2 -

For this photoshoot I decided to become a little more creative with the way that I made my set ups. I started to observe examples of the photography that are made by not just beauty magazines but also of the brands and companies that are mentioned and shown within those magazines. Within this photoshoot I attempted to take notes of the conventions and apply them to my photographs. I used both natural lighting and lighting from a ring light to get the desired lighting for the photos. For all of these photos I used my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Product Photography:

I used pink construction paper at the bottom and used a wooden bowl to place ice inside the bowl. Over the ice I carefully placed the Gua Sha tools and was a bird's eye view camera angle .

This photo was taken using natural lighting. I used fake yellow flowers in the background. I also used a thin yellow paper sheet. The green leaves helped develop a contract and make a nature feel.

I used oats as complimenatry props for this photo as the product that is being showcased is made out of oats. I used the ring light for this photo.

I decided to wet my hand and use the actual product to create bubbles to give the illusion that it is actually being used. I also used the ring light in order to take this photo.

The photos below were taken to be cropped and edited to have their backgrounds removed

Results (Edited/Removed Photos of the Background)

Setting/Other Photography:

This photo was taken using a number of things. I placed a white sheet under a piece of glass. On that piece of glass I placed slices of cucumber since cucumbers are typically associated with spas and face masks. I also sprinkled some water over to emphasize the idea that this is meant to feel hydrating.