In today’s lesson we had a Photoshop Tutorial on 'refine edge'. I think this will be a really useful tool i will definitely use in the future.  I chose an image of Lauren Conrad as she is a fashion icon to most young woman. This is my attempt of refine edge on a pretty background i found online. I think there is still room for improvement as the edges are not perfect and the proportion isn’t correct.

 



On my chosen background



Lauren Conrad



 As I said in my statement i am going to use this technique for my book cover image by placing the close up of the model onto the background of the forest.

influences- book cover ideas

While browsing the internet i found these images which have given me a few ideas of what i would like to do for my Little red riding hood book cover. I think they would both work really well although they are two very different photographs. The one on the left will be easy to replicate using low lighting to show a moody look. I like the fact you cant see the models eyes as it gives a more dramatic effect. I have choosen the image on the right because of the background. It looks mysterious with the dark and dingey forest which is what i want my book cover to be like.

I will use these photographs to help me develop on my own images for the book cover. I now know that I definitetly want the female model close up to the camera to make it more engaging and dramatic.

Although I want her to look miserable i will still brighten her clothes etc. to make sure the attention is all on her.

Statement of intent

The aim of this project was to produce a book cover for my chosen fairy tale. To reach my goal I need to research different artist so I can decide on the style of my photograph and also experiment with different techniques. I have decided to make a unique sequel of little red riding hood. This inspired me as it was always one of my favorite fairy tales from my childhood. I enjoyed the storyline very much and even though it’s targeted for young children i always saw a horror genre within the story. This gave me the idea of wanting to create this book cover targeted for adult, now little red riding hood is getting her revenge on the wolf meaning the two main characters switching roles.

 I require a number of props to make my book cover realistic, for example, the main character is known for her red hood and basket. Instead of fruit and bread the young girl was carrying in her basket I want to replace them with weapons, such as knifes and axes. I will cover these in fake blood to make it look more shocking to the viewers. The clothing will be the same apart from I will try to make it look ripped and torn to emphasize the darker side my version of the fairy tale.   

I am going to shoot the background of my image outside in a forest nearby home. I think it will be more effective at night to create this gloomy effect. The background will be dull and dark compared to the modal to help her stand out and to draw in the viewers attention. I am going to shoot my main modal in the studio so I can experiment with different lighting and poses, this way she will not be affected by the weather which could mess up the appearance I am trying to give off.

I would like to shoot the model close up so she is the main focal point then the spooky forest will be in the background. I am going to make this image look even more dramatic by putting exaggerated make up on the model then letting it run off to make her look battered and bruised. My aim is to shock the viewers and to put a horror twist onto the fairy tale ‘little red riding hood’.

On the opposite side I want to show the wolf trying to hide and escape from the girl. This could be him crouching down behind a tree or placing his hands over his eyes. This way he will look innocent and make the viewer’s feel sorry for him. I want this model to be tall and well-built to contrast with his personality. He will be wearing a wolf mask to look more realistic.

I will also need to include text on the cover to give the viewer’s information on the story. In the title ‘little red riding hood part 2’ I want to emphasize the word red as this is connoting blood and evil.  I will create a blooding dripping effect on this word when editing on Photoshop. 

Mock Book Cover

This is the image i am going to experiment with while producing my mock book cover. I think the composition will be perfect for the book using the template. Next i will add text eg, title to finish the look off. I think the contrasting colours in the sky makes the image look really effective and almost cartoon.



This is the edited mock book cover. I really like the set out of this image and think it works really well. I had to put the text colour at the bottom in white because it stands out a lot more than it would in black or any other colour. I like the contrast in the background; I think it makes it look more interesting than just a plain blue sky. I also like the fact the church will be exactly in the middle when the book is folded- draws the viewer’s eyes up to the title. The tree on the left which will be on the back of the book cover is nice and simple, this is because I wanted the main focus to be on the front cover.

Modern book sizes

Initially, I researched what the requirements were for a B-Format book (198x129mm) and this was then used as the scales for the mock book cover. We researched this so we could estimate the maximum size our photograph can be. This will give us a good idea on what the composition of the cover will be like. It will be a double page spread so I need to take into account that text will also be on the page, I will make sure I leave enough space for this. 

Name	Imperial (inches approx.)	Metric (mm)
Demy	9 x 6	229 x 152
Royal	9 1/4 x 7 1/2	235 x 191
Crown Royal	11 x 8 1/4	280 x 210
Classic hardback or C format paperback	8 3/4  x 5 5/8	222 x 143
'Trade' paperback or B format	8 x 5 1/4	198 x 129
A format	6 7/8 x 4 1/4	175 x 111