Author: Faye Tikic

Magazine Design

Using photoshop I began playing with my edited visuals and photography experimenting with effects I have learned from my online course. I kept in mind key factors from the Japanese graphic design website like lots of colour, gradients, blocking and text. I like each design but feel they are too dark and lack my desired quality – calming quirky colourful.

Drawing on primary photography scanning it in and editing

I wanted to further my experimentation so I decided to print out some of my photography and visuals, adding shapes and font from my speficiation doc, I wanted to involve a feel of traditional Japan which is why I added the mountains in the back. I used coloured pencils referencing my pintrest board as a colour pallet and using a rubber to remove ink, forming glowing outlines and highlights. I then scanned this back into photoshop to maximise potential.

I expanded on these by playing around with colour editing tools and the cut out filter, this helped break the tones and produce different styles when I changed hue. I like the effect of these designs, particularly the pastle colour version as it echos a sense of Japanese graphic design which I feel is a success.

Photography and illustration

– sharpie, photography and photoshop

Here I blocked out some areas and highlighted around them, I felt this highlights a geisha form, and draws the eye into the centre. I furthered this by outlining her in black and the other figures in pink to play with pop effects. This works really well and looks well finished, I like the shadows and complementary colours, I used this in my first cover design and felt I needed to express more independence and individuality so I selected a more appropriate image from my photoshoot.

I used the same ideas as earlier, applying shapes and font in different styles, I really liked the impact and effect but I preferred my the composition from another photograph in an earlier post, I felt this result isn’t as simplistic and calming as the one by the canal.

I decided to combine these ideas using my preferred photo and same manipulation, I decided to try this out digitally and feel it looks much cleaner and well designed, though I do like the hand drawn aesthetic, I may combine these ideas further however I am happy with the above results and experimentation.

Developing page visuals

Fish

built layers of coloured pencil, watercolour and fine liner

I began this experimentation with coloured pencil as I felt I could control the colours well, as I went through this process I would scan the drawing into photoshop to see how it looked in different styles, this way I could see what I wanted to change and achieve that.

Above are the results from the coloured pencil illustration, I felt they were cool but lacked a polished air and needed a softer style so I attempted the same design in water colour. After scanning it into Photoshop, I found it lacked outline and form so I added a thin outline with fine liner. I found this held a much neater, brighter visual than my previous designs, especially when edited – I found they looked softer and more professional. Now I had my final design I was ready to experiment with colours, tools and styles, these can be seen in the slide show.

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Wave

Watercolour, coloured pencil and finer liner

This design used water colour and coloured pencil

adding fine liner to bring in definition. I prefered this as it helped the colours pop and become more vibrant.

After producing my first activity illustration, I had in mind what style and process I should maintain, I fist created my waves in watercolour, building layers of tone with coloured pencils. After scanning it in, I found it lacked definition so I added the fine liner. I found this instantly improved the illustration and matched the fish well, I then began to experiment with colours, tools and styles in photoshop which can be seen in the slide show below. I found it difficult to identify which style I preffered so this helped me visualise my options and note which tool and style was used to achieve it for final development.

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I tried out a variety of styles, filters and tools, exploring colour range to bring in a feel of pop to support my chosen theme. I liked the body of visuals from this though I felt these looked more so like childrens activity page, targeting a younger audience than desired.

I found that the style “cut out” works best for the illustrative and photographic work, I have been experimenting with it for cover design and feel it pushes the graphic style of the outcome, I like how it breaks the image into colours and shape making it look like a digital painting – This has been a very beneficial journey as this step will be part of the final process for content ilustration and cover design.

Landscape

After developing my steps, I thought about adding to the framing and display of the page, adding detail to the steps by editing the outline and positioning lines. I feel this looks much better than just a box. I then thought about how empty and colourless the page and how I could complete the page and visuals.

I thought about the visuals and felt it would be nice to involve more imagery as the steps will be black and white. To do this I felt using examples of what could be done with the result would be beneficial so I did them in a variety of mediums:

– sharpie, watercolour, fine liner, pencil and colours pencil.

Examples for the pageI feel these will help add to the page and work well for inspiration though I do feel a little unsure on how I will compose the image in a minimalist and creative manor, I may need to illiminate certain images or rethink the design.

Stage one – Developing potential visuals

Using my content specification document I have been able to narrow down what subject should go with which activity. (Read the image captions to learn more)

Activity 1 – Learning a Language

I decided to use animals for this activity as they are universal and we approach them without knowing the same forms of communication, working with the theme of the exercise.

After selecting my chosen subject, I drew out a range of potential compositions and designs, creating a variety of options and examples.

After producing up to 8 of these designs, I developed my final design by combining my prefered areas into one. I admired the use of clouds on the bottom left side of the previous page combined with the circle, lines on the upper right and the fish from the bottom right of this image. I intend on bringing the design to life through bright colours using paints and pens.

I decided to chose a koi subject for my learning a language activity as it holds strong ties to Japan and works with the idea of being a fish out of water like being somewhere without knowing the spoken language. I also chose this specifically as it represents determination, ambition and independence as the Koi is known for travelling against the current and swimming upstream, therefore I feel it is an in context subject.

Activity – Mindful Colour

I began developing potential boarders and different imagery.

I focused on leaving space and framing, I feel these are more practical but I feel they lack in design.

I started this using ideas of bamboo, koi, clouds and waves; I felt the waves worked best as they hold expression in themselves and represent flow and continuous change. By parting the waves as a frame for the creative drawing or expression, I felt I could indiciate a time for yourself,  almost as though we are parting the chaos for a minute of peace.

Activity – Drawing  a Landscape

I felt using a natural landscape would be a camling subject for the viewer and so I mocked up some potential compositions for development.

After producing up to 12 of these examples I looked at each consdering how hard each one would be as well as how this would be broken down into steps using only four boxes.

I decided to chose the second design down on the right of my first page as it is very minimal yet detailed enough and can be transferable with its contents, making it a helpful task for the individual. I started breaking the drawing into steps, this was difficult as there are many ways to start this drawing and I felt certain subjects like the man and boat needed their own step by step boxes..

I tried out two different examples of steps to decide which would be easiest to aproach, working with my sister to see how she went on and help me decided which selection of steps is most effective..

I decided to go with the first set of steps, starting with the mountains. After I thought again about breaking down imagery into theyre own steps but I felt this could be ressolved by directional instructive accomanying text.

I focused on drawing simple natural Japanese landscapes for this activity, working well with my minimalist nature theme. I also feel landscape drawing is a good place to start as a beginner, as this doesn’t require symmetry or precision making it a basic starting point for people to begin drawing through steps.

After exploring a variety of artists, artworks, styles and processes I have been able to identify what I want to design and which elements I can use to achieve this.

Content subjects for design:

Nature through symbolism –

• Bamboo – represent progression, japan and advancement
• Bonsai trees – represents growth, disciplin and training
• Water, sea, lakes, ponds, rivers – represents life, peace, waves, flow
• Natural landscape, hills, sky, trees – represents clarity, environment, outisde lens
• Seasons – represents time and change
• Flowers – represents time, patience and blossoming

shapes:

I feel these shapes symbolise concepts of challenege, and continuous change so are optional for use in development.

• waves
• steps
• circles
• vines
• spirals

Animals

• Koi fish – means luck and good fortune in japan
• domestic animals: cats, dogs – popular in japanese printing
• cats or Maneki-neko – good look charm in Japan and China
• panda – in china and japan this represents friendship-
• Birds: – longetivity and luck in japan
  –owls: protection from suffering
  -roosters: sacred bird in japan for tempting the sun godess
  -cranes: promotes good health and fortune