Love Magazine

'Love' is a twice-yearly compendium of inspiration - for designers, for artists, for anyone looking for visual ideas; for anyone who loves fashion and design so much that they want to climb inside the heads of their heroes.

Fashion is part of a creative cross-cultural dialogue and, for this reason, 'Love' opens its readers to the most exciting developments in music and art as well as fashion to reveal the shape of tomorrow's aesthetics in its purest form.

Apart from 'The Independent Fashion Magazine', 'Love' has been one of my main inspirations. In the post below I will be explaining why I like and dislike each of the pictures in the above image..

Image 1: I like how colour is used in this picture. The blue masthead looks really really effective against the black and white image and background. This makes the masthead stand out and catch the on lookers attention straight away. When making my magazine I will be making sure that the masthead on my magazine front cover will be bold and noticeable.

Image 2: The model and the pose on the front of this magazine is extremely good, I think. The pose that the male model is doing has a lot of attitude and it is also gives the main image a 'rocker' vibe. I also like how the image is black and white, this also makes it have a 'rock 'n' roll' feel to it. The black and white goes well with the red masthead and cover lines also.

Image 3: This is the last image, in the selection of 'Love' magazines. Beth Ditto, an American singer-songwriter, most famous for her work in indie rock band 'Gossip'. She has been an outspoken advocate for large women being body-positive and has been regularly photographed as an editorial model. The pale background works well and I think when making my magazine I will most likely be using a pale background also. As well, I like the cover line font and how on the right-hand side of the page there is a list of all of the people that are features in that issue.

Independent Style Magazine

The magazine 'Indie' also known as 'The Independent Style Magazine' has been my main inspiration when thinking of ideas for my future music magazine. 'Indie' is an Internet fashion magazine, published quarterly on the Internet. In this blog post I am going to talk about each of the different images in the picture above and explain my likes and dislikes..

Image 1: I really like the colours used in the magazine cover. The pale blue background ties in with the pales colours the model is wearing. I also like how a prop, the glasses, is used to emphasise the image on the page. Overall, the magazine's front cover is very effective.

Image 2: Again, like Image 1, a prop is used. This could be a positive thing if you want the prop to be the main focus of the image, but this could also be a negative thing if you do not want this. I am considering using a prop with the model I use for my magazine. Overall, I like the idea of using a prop.

Image 3: On this cover I like how a male model is used, and I will most likely be using a male to be my model. The pose 'Luke Worrall' (the model) is doing, I also like. It is very serious and almost expressionless glare. Overall, I like how the model looks on the cover.

Image 4: In this image I like how the colour is used and how the model in the cover image is wearing a scarf with red colouring, and the short cover line on the cover is also red. Overall, I think it looks awesome when the colour in the picture ties in with the colour of the text.

Image 5: The model on this particular front cover is standing in a corner. This is good as it adds more thought into the image, and a sense of being trapped. When taking pictures for my magazine I will have to think about location.

Image 6: Although this image is in black and white it is still quite effective.  The pose that the model is doing gives me a sense that he is vain and mysterious. When taking pictures for my magazine I will have to think about the pose my model will be doing.

Image 7: The main thing about this front cover is the colour. I like how it looks like there are lights shining on the model and that there are two contrasting colours being used, red and green. When shooting for my magazine I will have to think about how light is being used.

Image 8: This is the final image in these selection of pictures and the colours are very neutral. This is good because all the colours tie in together. Overall, I will probally be using more bold colours rather than neutral to make the cover stand out more.

Basic Idea For My Magazine

I was unsure on what genre I wanted to choose when the I was first assigned with the task. I have wide music taste but, if I had to choose my favourite genre it would have to be indie. Indie rock, indie pop, indie punk, indie folk - I love listening to all of these kinds of music. Another reason I chose Indie to be my genre was not only it is the commonest genre I listen to, but there are many different types of indie (stated above). This would be a good factor as I can include many different artists and bands into my magazine to attract more readers.

I know Indie would be a very popular choice of magazine genre in my class so I want to try and make my music magazine different and unique from the others out there. One idea is to not only include new Indie artists and musicians in my magazine but revive the old ones too. I think this would be different and therefore make my magazine original. 

Also, I am going to include a fashion aspect into my magazine. Maybe on my double-page spread have an interview with the artist/band featured in the magazine about their favourite fashion pieces or include a 'look book' into the magazine. As well, have decided to give my magazine a vintage feel to it as I think this links in with the genre that I am going to do -indie.

Moodboard

Anaylsis of Double-Page Spread - NME

This is a double-page spread taken from the popular music magazine 'NME'. The focus of this double-page spread is a band called 'The Vaccines'. 'The Vaccines' are a London-based alternative rock band that formed in 2010. This tells us a lot about 'New Musical Express' and that it introduces new, unknown bands into their magazine.

The colour scheme for these pages is black, white and blue. I think it is good how the editors of 'NME' have use a bright, bold colour with the black and white because this draws your eye to different parts of the page. The editors have also put in the blue a quote from one of 'The Vaccines' band members. By making the quote in a different colour from all of the other text, the quote now stands out and the reader of this particular article can quickly read a quote from the text and then get some idea of what it is all about. As well as the quote being highlighted, the letter at the start of each paragraph is blue, this adds to the visual aspect. Finally, another thing that is in blue is certain words in the subheading, this makes the reader see what word are important and also get the gist of what the article is about.

There are only a few different fonts that are being used in this article and this corresponds as a good thing. When choosing fonts for a magazine you do not want too many because it could make the page look too 'busy' and messy. If you use no more than three or four, at the maximum, different font it would make your magazine page look neat and tidy rather than too 'busy'. The title is in a bold, plain font. I think this looks good as although it is plain and simple, it is also affective.

'The Vaccines' picture is covering more than just one page and then the text is neatly placed on the far right-hand side. I like how 'The Vaccines' look in the image as it brings across to the reader the genre of their music just in the way they are dressed, and their stance. I like that the picture is relatively big because it does not make it look like there is that much text on the page, and some readers could be put off reading the article if there is too much text.

Overall, I really like the look of this double-page spread. I like how the picture looks and when taking photos for my magazine I may make my model look like a member of 'The Vaccines' or/and pose in the same way they do. I also like the use of a bright colour with the black and white, because like I have said before: this draws your eye to different parts of the page. Lastly, when I come to do my double-page spread, like 'NME' have, I think I will be using some sort of subheading to give my reader a quick preview of what is going to be in my article.

Analysis of Double-Page Spreads - NME 2

Above is another double-page spread from the music magazine 'New Musical Express', but this time the article is about indie rock artist 'Florence and the Machine'. I seems that this specific piece of text is about a gig that 'Florence and the Machine' did.

The colour scheme for these two pages is black, white and pink. As I have said before, I like it when the editors of magazines use a bright colour with black and white because it draws your eye to different parts of the page and you can also use the bright colour to make word and pieces of text stand out. This then means that you can get the important information more easily across to reader of the article. I think it is also good how the editors of 'NME' have chosen colours that link in with the pictures on the page. For example: they have picked out the pink of the flowers and then used it as one of the font colours.

The fonts that are used in this article are bold and the title of the double-page spread 'Call of the Wild' is in big, black writing. This is good because it stands out from all of the other text on the page and you can instantly tell that this is the title. The subheading is in a different font to the rest of the text, this is another advantage as, like the title, you can instantly tell what it is and separate it from the other text in the feature. For the main part of the article the text is plain and simple this is good factor to have because you would not want anything too over the top and fancy when there is a lot of text to read.

There are quite a lot of pictures on the page, all different sizes. The pictures on the far right-hand side of the page, I think, look good because they are arranged in a randomly overlapping pattern. Whilst the picture of Florence Welch on the left-hand side acts almost as a background. With the title overlapping it. The pictures used in the article are from a gig that is talked about in the text. This is good because the images relate to the article so this is positive because at just a quick glance the reader would be able to get the gist of what the article is about.

Overall, I like how the colours of the text relate to the colours in the main image on the page. I also like how the editors of 'New Musical Express' have used imagery. For example: how the images look down the right-hand side of the page. I also like how the images relate to the article. When I begin to think of ideas for my double-page spread I think I will make sure that the title of the page is bold. Just like this one from 'NME'.

Analysis of Double-Page Spreads - NME 3

The final double-page spread I an analysing is also from 'New Musical Express'. The focus of this article is a band called 'Oasis'. 'Oasis' were an English rock band that formed in Manchester. By having an article about 'Oasis' in 'NME', this tells us that 'NME' does not just focus on the new and up coming artists and bands they also focus on old bands/artists, including bands/artists that may have split up; in this example, 'Oasis'.

The colour scheme for these pages is black and white. I think it is good how the editors of 'NME' have just used black and white for the article as it gives it an old, vintage feel and you could say that the editors have done that for the purpose of saying 'Oasis' are an old band. The editors have also made the images in the article black and white. This again is a good factor to have because it gives off different vibes and makes it look and feel like it is from the long forgotten past.

There are only a few different fonts that are being used in this article and this corresponds as a good thing. When choosing fonts for a magazine you do not want too many because it could make the page look too 'busy' and messy. If you use no more than three or four, at the maximum, different font it would make your magazine page look neat and tidy rather than too 'busy'. There are subheadings in a bold, plain font. I think this looks good as although it is plain and simple, it is also affective. Also, it makes the quotations stand out.

The images used in the article are at the top of the page, and the text at the bottom. This makes the article have a neater, formal look and it does not look messy. The two larger images at the top of the page merge in to each other, this is a visual aspect. Like other article the pictures relate to what is inside the double-page spread which is aways a good thing.

Overall, I really like the look of this double-page spread. I like how everything is in black and white because it gives it a different feel to if it were in colour. I also like how the text and images are in two different parts of the page. This makes it look neat and tidy. When I begin to start planning for my double-page spread I will keep all of these ideas in mind

Anaylsis of Contents Pages - NME

This is a picture of the contents page for 'NME', a music magazine. The contents list is aligned t the right-hand side of the page. Also there are subheadings being used. This is a good thing because if a reader or readers is wanting to find a particular article, it will be a lot quicker for them, so therefore it saves time.

To the left-hand side of the page there is a 'Band Index'. The 'Band Index' is a good bit of information because it tells the reader what artists and bands are featured in the magazine, so if you were in a shop and you were just browsing through the magazines you could see if any of your favourite artists or bands were in the magazine and this would perhaps make your more eager to buy it. Beside the contents list there are small red arrows pointing to various parts of the list, this shows us what articles featured on the front cover of 'New Musical Express'. Again, like the subheadings, this would be a time saving aspect.

Colours being used are mainly red, white and black. These colours all link in with the 'NME' logo. Colour is not only being used to make certain text stand out, it is being used to just generally make the page look nicer and become more pleasant to the eye. I like how the editors of 'New Musical Express' have put the pages numbers in the colour red. This looks affective and it also makes it easy to see them.

As you can see on 'NME's contents page there is an article that is named: 'The moment that... Oasis kicked off their world tour.' A small article on the contents page could be a good aspect to have as it gives your reader an idea of what is going to be inside the magazine. Also it could show what music genre they are aiming at, by using an artist or band with the same genre in the article. With the article there are two pictures. Both seem to be taken from an 'Oasis' gig, this could suggest that there is going to be more gig reviews inside the magazine.

Finally, 'NME' have a small advert at the bottom of their page trying to persuade people to subscribe to their magazine, with a discount offer of 33%. Like the other devices used on the contents page, this is a good factor as the reader sees it straight away, it is eye catching because of the colours being used and it is something promoting 'NME' and could consequently make their sales figures rise.

Overall, I like how 'New Musical Express' used subheadings in their contents list as it makes it easier for the reader to locate a particular article. I also like the use of pictures on the contents page because it then makes the page nicer to look at and eye catching. However, there is a lot of things crammed onto 'NME's  contents page and when I am coming to make and design my contents page I do not think that I will have so much things on it, as I think it looks a bit over crowded.

Anaylsis of Contents Pages - Fused

This contents page is from 'Fused' magazine. 'Fused' focuses on music, style and art from the forefront of youth culture and I think you can tell this from how their contents page is set out and looks like. Their contents list is over to the top right-hand corner and there are two columns. The columns are not in a straight lines down the page, they sort of drift to the left-hand side. I think this gives the reader or on looker the feel of unformality, fun and youth. I do not think this magazine is aimed at an adult audience.

There are loads of different fonts being used throughout the page and this gives it a lively and quirky feel which I like. There are even two titles for the contents which gives 'Fused' magazine it's own individual style.

Green, pink and grey are the three main colours being used, but there is also a hint of white. This colour scheme, I think, looks really good and effective as it makes the brighter, bolder colours stick out on the page. Also it gives it a funky, retro vibe.

It is fair to say that imageary is the main part of 'Fused' magazines contents page. The images on the page do link in with what the magazine is about: 'music, art and style from the youth culture.' Music is portrayed by the indie/grunge looking band on the contents page, art is quite obvious as the whole of the contents pages is extremely arty, creative and imagainative and finally, the style is put across in the clothes that the 'indie/grunge band' are wearing and also some of the other images on the page could link in with the style concept.

Overall, I really like the look of the magazine as it is has quirky, individual feel too it. I also like the colours used and how some stnad out more from the rest. When thinking of what I want my contents page to look like I think that there will need to more more text on the page where as 'Fused' magazine has very little text. I am also considering cartoon imagery on my contents page as I love how it looks and it could go well with my magazines genre.

Analysis of Contents Pages - Mixmag

This contents pages is taken from Mixmag, a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as 'the world's biggest selling dance music magazine'. The contents list is aligned to the left-hand side of the page. Also there are subheadings being used. An example of one of the subheadings is: 'Regulars'. This is a very good thing to have on a contents page because it saves the reader time and helps them find what they are looking for quickly and easily. 'Regulars' is a good subheading to have as this means that these are the things that are features in 'Mixmag' every time it is published. So, regular readers will be wary of these articles.

The layout on the page looks and seems very modern. There are three images used on 'Mixmag's contents page and they are all three different size which adds to the magazine's modern edginess. Also, 'Mixmag' have linked the pictures that they have used on their contents page with the articles that are further inside the magazine. I know this because at the bottom of every picture there is a number and this must correspond to a page number. This acts in a similar way to the subheadings on the contents page: it saves the reader time and helps them find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

The main colours being used are black, white and a reddish purple (with the exception of yellow, which is used in the title). The background is white which is good because then the text, images and any other items on the page stand out and become clearer. By the title having a different colour this also makes it become more noticeable, which is a good thing because a title is a key item you need on your contents page when you are considering making a magazine.

Various fonts are used on this particular magazine cover and I think that they all tie in with the magazines genre, dance music, which is another good thing. The numbers for pages that have pictures with them on the contents pages look very retro and they remind me of the 'Top of the Pops' font they used. The title and the subheadings have the same font, so there is a certain style and particular layout through out the page. Also bold is being used for the titles of the pages in the contents list, this is good because they are now clearer.

Overall, I like how the images look on the page and how there is one side for the pictures and another side for text, it makes it look modern and neat. Also, font and boldness would be a good thing to have on a contents page to make the text that has the most important status apparent. I would have to pick a font that links in with my particular genre though. Finally, I like the use of a white background, because as I have said before it makes everything on the page now become visible. However, I think more colour could be used on this page as it looks rather plain and the contents page is the first page inside the magazine you see, so it need to grasp the readers attention.

Analysis of Magazine Covers - NME

Cover Analysis 1

Analysis of Magazine Covers - Spin

Cover Analysis 2

Analysis of Front Covers - The Fly

Cover Analysis 3

Basic Magazine Research

 

• There are many music magazines out there to buy and examples of these are NME, Kerrang, Q, Mojo, Smash Hits, Rolling Stone, BBC Music Magazine, Clash and Mixmag
• The genre of these music magazine is broad and includes indie/alternative, mainstream, rock, pop, classical and R&B
• Price range for a music magazine is usually between £2.00 and £4.50
• The magazines are mostly either published for sale weekly or monthly
• They are sold at various places like supermarkets, newsagents/corner shops, petrol stations and drug stores