1.What book did you decide to redesign the cover for? Why did you choose this book? 

I decided to redesign the book, "Loving Reaper." I deeply enjoyed the stories covered in the book. Although it was a short book, I wanted to create something represented my feelings towards the topic and of passing and hardship. This is a short collection of poems which makes it interesting to create. The main focus, the grim reaper is also highlighted which is important to think about.

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2. What parts of the plot did you use as inspiration for your book cover design? 

I used flowers on the skull to show the loving side of death, and consequently the Grim Reaper. I also used a script font for the title to further develop this side. I decided to use a light off white color to represent the space between life and death, as this moment is captured in this book.

 

3. In as much detail as possible record the steps it took to create this project in photoshop. Use complete sentences.​ Try to recall as many of the different tools, processes and keyboard commands as possible.
 I started off by finding a color I want to use as my basis as my cover. I created rectangles with that color for each of the sections allowing me to maintain a good workspace. I started working with the skull, and flowers. I used layer masks to non-destructively remove parts I did not want. To give that muted color to the flowers I used adjustment layers such as the Exposure, Hue and Saturation layers. I then added a blending layer to give an additional level of texture. For the hand on the back cover, there were a few unwanted letters, so I used a combination of layer masks and clone stamps to rid them. The clone stamps were used to fix any areas where I did not find visually appeasing. 

4.What was the easiest and what was the most challenging part of creating your cover?
The easiest part of this cover was finding the two fonts I used for the cover because I already had a clear picture for my typography to represent this moment of lost and hardship. However the most challenging part was coming up with an overall design. I wanted the design to represent that moment elegantly and with care. This caused a challenge as meant I had to be minimal without being basic.

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5. Based on the learning target, "Students will redesign a cover for a famous book that appeals to a modern literacy audience by developing, proposing and refining artistic ideas, plans, prototypes and production processes for media arts productions.  " what level of mastery does your project demonstrate (Exceeds, Meets, Needs Work, minimal understanding). Why do you think so? Make sure to provide specific evidence.

I believe my project exceeds the level of mastery needed to meet the learning target, as modern literacy has touched delicate subjects using a new wave of minimalistic designs. My design accurately shows the harsh topic of death in a way to attract readers to the book cover. The entire book follows a design with muted colors that are nice on the eyes. The text is all properly structured, allowing the natural flow of the readers' eyes to the most important information.