Initial Ideas

Kings

and

queens

My Theme for this project is going to be kings and queens

I have chosen to explore this theme because i have many ideas i want to explore and feel that i can use the artists above to show how kings and queens can be portrayed through different lenses and not all kings and queens wear crowns but they all of different versions of crowns within themselves.


My interpretation of this is

  • In this theme I want to show the viewer that the kings and queens in the world are not all born but made and i will be showing this through magazines and have key titles which show my points above in them.

The Artist’s I have chosen are

  • , Magdiel Lopez, Andreea Robesce and Arinze Stanley have chosen them because i like their style and know that my theme of Kings and Queens will fit well into their styles.

KIngs and queens

‘’Kings and queens are made by their actions, not their birthright’’

My Research on Kings and queens


My first link is a webpage about Lopezes past and how he found his freedom and why he does what he does in his artwork today


I have chosen my second link because Arinze Stanley’s initial forays into art were simple yet meaningful, shaped by the materials available from his family’s paper business.

Inspired by the rich narratives of the Contemporary Black experience, African culture and personal moments of reflection, Arinze’s pieces aim to bridge understanding and foster connections.


My third link looks at Andreea Robescu and how she uses everything that surrounds her, from acrylics and ink to photography and collage, merging analog and digital techniques to break the boundaries between different visual art forms.


Introduction

  • I have chosen to study the photographer
  • I picked them because i like the style of his work and

Analysing a piece of their of work:

  • The subject matter of the work to the left is carefully constructed as the artist has not only taken the image but has turned it into a painting of some sort and has purposefully hidden his face to create a sense of mystery which our own imagination has to fill in making the picture different to every eye. Magdiel Lopez has paid particular attention to Compositional Rules in this work, as they have intentionally used central eye dominant to make the character within the image to stand out amongst the other things in this peace of art (e.g. the writing ) he has also added a pop of colour to the background using a circle making the character stand out even more.
  • The effect of using these is to highlight the character within the mage which tells the story.
  • Lopez has also used the Formal Elements of repetition of the word ‘PRECION’, balance by using symmetry and texture by making the character painted or noisy.
  • The effect of using these is again to make the character stand out but to also add some complexity into the piece without making it to complex.

Artist 1

Magdiel Lopez

Technical analysis:

  • I think that this work was probably taken using a tripod to stabilise the camera whilst taking the image and props such as the hat to create that mysterious look.
  • The artist has used studio lighting. The direction of the light is coming from the subject's right.
  • The artist may have used a red tinted colour gel to create that red glow on his hand or he could have edited it in
  • The shadows in the work are soft so they have not used a filter to create soft light.

  • The work has been edited in Photoshop to create a double exposure image and he has done this by merging two images together putting the woman over the image of the person on the hill with stars. They have also added or changed the background by adding a colourful gradient with 3 different colours. Lopez has also carefully faded the two images together. This has created the affect of us looking at the person in the stars and then looking up at the woman's eyes reviling the two images.
  • In this work the camera has been focused on both the woman and the stars the image also doesn't cover the woman's eyes on purpose revealing the message to always look to the stars.
  • The artist has used a medium Aperture to create a medium Depth of Field.


  • I can tell that Lopez has also used a slow Shutter Speed because he has captured the stars which shows that he has had to leave the camera out to absorb the light to get the stars.
  • It would have been best for them to use a large ISO like 2400 to take this work because it will help to capture the light.

What Kind of Mood does the photo have?

  • I think the work feels exciting, mysterious and futuristic. The artist has created this mood by hiding his face creating the mystery of the person which has allowed us to use our imaginations to decide what kind of person he is making his artwork different and unique to everyone who looks at it and maybe when different people look at his work they relate it to themselves as Lopez does throughout all of his artwork. Using futuristic text and colours that replicate things we see in movies based on the future as if this is a piece of artwork from the future and is hiding a message to look ahead in life.
  • The colours used in the work are a mixture of bright and dim colours but mainly dim colours which helps create that mysterious look Lopez has gone for in this piece but he has also added a pop of colour which brings out him in his own work as he loves bright colours..
  • The people are purposefully used to add to that mystery of the image and by hiding his face it is now up to use to determine what kind of character he could be.

What was the Photographer’s intent?

  • From first looking at it, I thought the work was about the future and to look to the stars as the photographer has merged two images together with one of them being off the stars and with it also leading to her eyes having them in focus.
  • Lopez created this piece of artwork as when he was 15 years old he was looking for freedom and a better life so he moved to the USA so the stars in this represent freedom and the eyes represent the searching for that freedom. we can also see a man looking up at the stars and this represents him finding the USA his better life and him now moving there to live a better life and finding that freedom. the colour gradient he used in the background represents him and his personality as from a young age Lopez has always been intrigued with colours especially bright ones.

Introduction

  • To respond to the work of Lopez, I intend to take images and edit them in photoshop making slight changes to his work to relate it to my theme of kings and queens.
  • My work will link to my artist because I will also use similar aspect in my work like hiding the characters face and the creation of double exposure in photoshop whilst also hiding my message of ‘’Kings and queens are made by their actions, not their birth right’’ in my work.
  • The equipment I need will be a DSLR Camera, Tripod, Studio Lighting or ring light and a black or white background because i will need to use similar props to recreate his work but add my little twist to it as well.

My Response

To Artist 1: Magniel Lopez

My Contact Sheet

These are my unedited photographs from my artist photoshoot

My Three Edits

Edit 1

  • First i selected the subject and pressed ctrl j, after that i used the lasso tool to shop his head off and select his glasses and add a gradient.
  • after i added a layer underneath and made it a dark blue with grey colour then used the paint brush tool to add pink, yellow and blue in.
  • i then added writing and made sure that it fits with my theme
  • finally i added some chess pieces and scattered them all around his inner head and added a gradient on some of them.

Edit 2

  • First i selected the background and pressed ctrl j after that i used the lasso tool to move and separate parts of his head and deleted some.
  • i then added a layer underneath and with the lasso tool i traced the back of the head and filled it using the gradient tool.
  • i added another layer and added a gradient to it.
  • i added a tear drop using the lasso tool and gradient tool to fill it in. after wards i created a crown and a quadrilateral which i also filled in with a gradient.
  • Finally i added in the text which tells you about the image.

Edit 3

  • I first cropped out an image of me and added in a background using the bucket fill tool.
  • After that i added a circle and used the gradient tool to fill it in.
  • Using the brush tool i added in some red and blue highlights and selected some areas so that that the paint would only go in those selected areas i selected those areas with the lasso tool.
  • after that i added in text making some of them hollow by making them into smart groups and getting rid of the fill and adding a outline.
  • after this i added an image of water used the selection tool to select it and added a gradient. i had to use the transform tool and lasso tool to make the image straight and get rid off any unwanted parts.

Introduction

  • I have chosen to study the Photographer Arinze Stanley
  • I picked them because I love the simplicity of his work and how he is able to create complex images from simple shapes.

Analysing a piece of their of work:

  • The subject matter of the work to the right is an image of a black African woman who has had her picture taken and the artist has edited her in Photoshop by adding two layers and then displacing one of them and rubbing sections out of the Infront image to revile the image behind creating that effect.
  • Stanley has paid particular attention to Compositional Rules in this work, as they have intentionally used Diagonal Lines and Contrast Between Subject and Background
  • The effect of using these is creating a sense of confusion within the image and the contrast between the subject and the background makes the woman pop out more, allowing us to focus on the woman in more depth without being distracted by the background.
  • Stanley has also used the Formal Elements of Repetition, Shape, Negative Space and Focus.
  • The effect of using these is the person stands out more as the background is just plan and she is in focus making us want to look at her. The artist has also repeated the use of a hollow square throughout his work again adding to the complexity of the design.

Artist 2

Arinze Stanley

Technical analysis:

  • I think that this work was probably taken using a tripod, camera, and a small mountain prop or an image off of iStock because the mountain has been edited in by the photographer so he would have had to take an image of a mountain model. He would have had to use a tripod to capture an image of the girl or boy in the picture.
  • The artist has used studio lighting. The direction of the light is coming from the subject's front
  • The shadows in the work are soft so they have not used a filter to create soft light.

  • The work has been edited in Photoshop to create that double exposure affect we can see in the image below. what he must have done is gathered 3 of the same images and turned the black and white and adjusted the brightness contrast. then he must have moved them into position and rubbed out sections of the image above to reveal the image below and on some rubbed all 3 images out.
  • In this work the camera has been focused on the boy or man.
  • The artist has used a medium Aperture to create a medium Depth of Field. I can tell this because the person isn't right up close to the picture and he is placed in the middle between the camera and the background.


  • I can tell that Stanley has also used a fast Shutter Speed because the image is sharp and not blurry.
  • It would have been best for them to use a medium ISO like 800 to take this work because it allows the image to have a difference between the lighter and darker parts so when it is turned black and white there is already a high contrast.

What Kind of Mood does the photo have?

  • I think the work feels calm and peaceful. The artist has created this mood by not adding any vibrant colours and keeping the colour schemes all the same. the artist has also made a calm peaceful background by keeping the models facial expressions plane and straight.
  • The colours used in the work are black and white
  • this also adds to the pictures mood as if he had added colour each colour relates to a specific mood so it would have given the image a particular mood/ feeling taking away that calm feel. so by using greys and whites he has kept the calm atmosphere.
  • The people are calm and have no facial expressions to make the mood happy or angry its just a straight face making the mood seem calm and peaceful. the prop of the mountain also adds to the peaceful element as there is no humans or work on the mountain just nature which is alm.

What was the Photographer’s intent?

  • From first looking at it, I thought the work was about how a man can have many faces but it is hard to keep putting on different faces for different people and in the end you become overloaded and start to fall apart destroying yourself in the process.
  • When Googling Stanley’s work, I have found that they made this work because they allowed him to show a reflection of his own reality through them. ‘my works are a reflection of my reality’.

Introduction

  • To respond to the work of Arinze Stanley, I intend to take and edit photos in photoshops by turnng them black and white and creating diffrent shapes.
  • My work will link to my artist because I will also recreate similar peaces of art work as he has but on one of them add the kings and queens theme into it and the other two will be me developing my skills working in the style of the artist.
  • I will need a couple of models like Zak and Mandala so that i can recreate the artist work.
  • The equipment I need will be a camera, light box, black or plane background ad a tripod because i will have to keep the camera still and create a contrast between the subject and the backgground so that it is easyer for me to edit out when i put it in photoshop.
  • Doing this will link to my theme because i can later on use hi colour scheme of whites and greys to show things in my Development outcomes. i can also add the weird shapes to make the images better and not so perfect.

My Response

To Artist 3: Arinze Stanley

My Contact Sheet

These are my unedited photographs from my artist photoshoot

My Three Edits

Edit 1

  • First i cropped him out using the quick select tool and ctrl j the image after i made the canvas size larger and square (6000,6000).
  • i then added a background by creating a new layer underneath and then bucket filling it in grey.
  • using the scale thing at the top a drew lines in at every 250px and used the shape tool to select every other one making sure i pressed shift so it stayed selected.
  • i ctrl c and v the image then inverted the selection and re ctrl c and v to end up with two sliced images which i then merged together.

Edit 2

  • First i cropped out the background and bucket filled in the background using the bucket fill tool, i then ctrl shift u him to turn the image black and white adjusting the brightness and contrast.
  • using the lasso tool i selected areas of his face and pulled them away and readjusted the brightness and contrast to make it darker.


Edit 3

  • First i cropped him out and the original image of the mountain using the lasso tool.
  • i then merged the two together and used a combination of the brushes, clone stamp tool and opacity to blend it together.
  • after this i cropped the background out of the original image and reused it in mine
  • after this i added a man climbing the mountain which represent hardship and the path to become a king and queen.

Merging my first two artists

My Plan

My Contact Sheet

These are the unedited photographs I will use in my artist merge

My Artist merge Outcome

Artist Merge

My Editing Process

  • First i grabbed the original image and put it into photoshop.
  • i then added in the lines but at 200px and ctrl c and v them to create the two parts.
  • i then turned one of the black and white to added to my artist two and even out the balance of the two artist.
  • i then merged the two images together and underneath created a background by selecting a colour and filling it in using the bucket fill tool.
  • (i explain each step in more detail in the above ones for artist copies)


Analysing a piece of their of work:

  • The subject matter of the work to the right is a person with writing around them which passes over a key message as the artist has only used 3 words repeatedly throughout her work.
  • Robesce has paid particular attention to Compositional Rules in this work, as they have intentionally used the rule of thirds to portray there work.
  • The effect of using this is we can focus on the writing and on the person without it being confusing to look at as it is simply split into three.
  • Robesce has also used the Formal Elements of repetition as she repeats the same message over and over throughout her work and lines in the background to add some colour.
  • The effect of using these is it ensures that the message she wants to get across to the viewers is noticed and is all the same but can also be interpreted as different things. That’s why she has added the person.

Introduction

  • I have chosen to study the photographer Andreea Robesce
  • I picked them because i like how the artist draws over the work and that the drawings are messy and don’t have to be perfect of look good so i feel that i can show my artistical side through her work.

Artist 3

Andreea Robesce

Technical analysis:

  • I think that this work was probably taken using a tripod and studio lighting with a background.
  • The artist has used studio lighting. The direction of the light is coming from the subject's right highlighting there face on one side but not on the other creating that contrast.
  • The shadows in the work are soft so they have not used a filter to create soft light but instead have used a box light to create the soft light.

  • The work has been edited in photoshop to create all the tiny logos on the face and to recreate the eyebrows.
  • In this work the camera has been focused on the persons neck and face.
  • The artist has used a small Aperture to create a shallow Depth of Field. I can tell this because the background is slightly blurry and the person in front is in focus.


  • I can tell that Robesce has also used a fast Shutter Speed because the image is sharp and the subject is not blurry.
  • It would have been best for them to use a medium ISO like 800 to take this work because the work is bright but because the shutter speed is fast they need to make the image brighter.

What Kind of Mood does the photo have?

  • I think the work feels exciting and calm. The artist has created this mood by adding fun creative lines and colours on top of the image but has made the model’s face straight which gives vibes of calm and relaxation.
  • The colours used in the work are red and white with the image being made black and white which has purposefully been done by the artist to highlight the key words in the image but to also add to the relaxation.
  • The colour choice of red gives us a sense of urgency within the picture and makes us take the image more seriously and for use to give it more thought and time to consider the bigger picture.
  • The model in the image has a straight face to one show the peace within this artwork but to show that the words in red are no laughing matter and in the wrong hands can be abused.

What was the Photographer’s intent?

  • From first looking at it, I thought the work was about nature as the models face is covered in flowers and animals and he is also wearing a purple and white fur around his neck which links to nature.
  • When Googling Robesce’s work, I have found that they made this work because Robesce said ‘I get bored easily and love to experiment, and I find art to be the perfect way of expressing myself’.

Introduction

  • To respond to the work of Andreea Robesce, I intend to take and edit photos in the same style and carefully hand-pick my words to convey a key message over to my viewers.
  • My work will link to my artist because I will also use repetition and bold pops of colours.
  • I will need a model, studio lighting, a background and a tripod to recreate these images.
  • The equipment I need will be a DSLR Camera, Tripod, Studio Lighting and Background because to recreate a pies of work you will need to use the same set up as them.


My Response

To Artist 2: Andreea Robesce

My Contact Sheet

These are my unedited photographs from my artist photoshoot

My Three Edits

Edit 1

  • with this particular piece i grabbed a graphics tablet and drew the words king, queen and royal in different colours using different brushes until i filled the entire image.
  • i then drew a small crown on his eye brow as the original artist did this but with a line

Edit 2

  • First i drew the words king, queen and royal on his face and body.
  • i then added in arrows using a different brush.
  • after that i added in some yellow highlights using the soft brush.
  • i then added in the crown with a black background.

Edit 3

  • I added in the crown first on this one as i will be working around it.
  • i then added in the text on his body in different colours to show the blazer and shirt.
  • i then in black did all my normal writing but added more messages in it this time.
  • i have now added in strips in three different colours and four red dots on the crown.

Development One

My Plan

My Contact Sheet

These are the unedited photographs from my Development 1 photoshoot

My Dev 1 Outcome

Development 1

My Editing Process

What went well?

In my first Development I am happy with the colours i used and how i have merged all 3 of my artist into one GQ magazine without over complicating it.

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What will you do in the next Development to make it even better?

I will improve my next Development by making sure any writing i put onto the cover is readable and is simple to read without zooming or squinting your eyes.

I first cropped out my model and deleted the background and used the lasso tool to select sections of his face which i then moved up and repeated 3 times. After this i duplicated him and made the bottom layer black and white and erased the top layer where his head is to revel the black and white version below.

After this i added a gradient and changed the colour scheme to a white to royal blue making it so the white starts in the middle but goes into a blue as it goes outwards.

Using the lasso tool i reconstructed part of his face and added a pink and purple gradient making the parts where the shadow would be purple so it looks 3d and realistic.

i imported an image of a crown and selected it using the quick selection tool and added a gradient the same as the background but just a little bit darker. i then used the lasso tool to create the triangle shape behind the crown and filled that in using the same gradient i used for the crown but the lighter part.

After this i imported a GQ logo and changed the colours on a different layer so i could delete the imported logo. after this i added a shape in and rounded the edges. After this i double clicked on the layer and lowered the fill opacity to 0 and the out line to 10px which i then made pink.

i then opened a new PS file

Development Two

My Plan

My Contact Sheet

These are the unedited photographs from my Development 2 photoshoot

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My Dev 2 Outcome

Development 2

My Editing Process

After i put my video in photoshop i i attached a graphics tablet to my computer and drew lines on each frame which went all the way around his body. i used the hard brush on the brush tool to do this with a thickness of 15px.

I then added a gym shark logo from chrome and selected it using the quick selection tool which i was now able to draw inside the logo and not outside. i did this frame by frame until the whole logo was done i also erased any parts of the original logo which wasn't yet covered by the brush. i added a crown on top to add to the kings and queens theme

To get the logo behind him i lowered the fill opacity by 20 on each frame until i got to 10. i then added a border around it and made it 4px thick. After this i used the eraser tool get ride of the sections Infront of the model going from an opacity of 20 to 100.

I imported the gym shark name and changed the colour of the name to match my colour theme in the same way i did the logo. Then on each layer i added one more letter moving the whole thing slightly to the right until it was all on there creating the gym shark logo.

What went well?

In my second Development I am happy with the way i animated the gym shark logo in photoshop

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What will you do in the next Development to make it even better?

I will improve my next Development by making the background look more professional.

Practice Final Piece

My Plan

My Contact Sheet

These are the unedited photographs from my Practice Final Piece photoshoot

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My Practice Final Piece

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Practice Final Piece

My Editing Process

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Final Outcome

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My Contact Sheet

These are the unedited photographs from my Final Outcome photoshoot

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My Final Outcome

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Final Outcome

My Editing Process

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My Theme

  • My portfolio project explores the theme of Kings and Queens and how they can be portrayed through different lenses and not all kings and queens wear crowns but everyone wears their own crown created by themselves.
  • Within this theme I have chosen to focus on how the social media world has so much influence on our lives and how what they advertise on the different platforms affects us.
  • This theme comes through in my work as i have chosen an industry which has a lot of influence on people and makes them what to become the best versions of themselves. the company is gym shark and i am have shown that through hard work, consistency and resilience we can also become and unlock the kings and queens within ourselves.

Project Statement

Kings & Queens

My Artist Responses

  • I have been influenced by the artists Magdiel Lopez , Arinze Stanley and Andreea Robesce.
  • Magdiel Lopez has inspired my work by the colour schemes i have used and in the way i did the gym shark logo and titles. he has also inspired the text used.
  • Arinze Stanley has inspired my work by using black and white as well as other filters like the oppenheimer filter at the beginning.
  • Andreea Robesce has inspired my work by all the lines drawn in by hand as through out i have used the graphics tablet to edit lines in around and on the body.

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Taking Photos

  • To further my project I took videos of my friend Yan to make not a copy of a magazine or add cover like vogue which already exists but a whole new advert for gymshark saying that to become your own king you must put your mind and body through deep hardship to be able to create the best version of yourself; A KING OR QUEEN
  • I did this by considering the angles in my video as i took most of them from a high angled shot at the beginning to show how Yan is looked down upon but towards the end i angle the camera from below to make it look like people look up to him and respect him like a king.

  • My development work depicts the different skills i have had to learn and master to execute them well in my final outcome a gym shark add / magazine
  • In development 1 I merged all my artists together to create a GQ magazine showing that all the artists can collaborate in one piece. What went well In my first Development is I am happy with the colours i used and how i have merged all 3 of my artist into one GQ magazine without over complicating it. I will improve my next Development by making sure any writing i put onto the cover is readable and is simple to read without zooming or squinting your eyes.
  • In development 2 i started to play around with the different gym shark aesthetics and tried to combine them with my theme of kings and queens. What went well In my second Development is I am happy with the way i animated the gym shark logo in photoshop. I will improve my next Development by making the background look more professional.
  • In development 3 I attempted to edit a video of my model working out as in my final outcome i wanted to make a advert and improve from the 60% by adding people and multiple scenes so i practiced doing this on one scene.


Developments

My Final Piece

  • In my Final piece I decided to make a gym shark magazine to show that you can become anything you want if you put your mind to it but you have to work hard first to achieve those goals.


  • What went well was the way i merged all my artist into the piece of work and i managed to in-cooperate my GQ front cover which allows me to connect all my pieces of work into a final piece
  • I could have improved by adding more of the artist Magdiel lopez in order to fully utilise all my artists into my final piece however i did use him a lot throughout my development pieces which you can see in the locker clip.
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