session 8 final session

This week i started my final poster (my third not forth as originally planned). For this poster i wanted to show the product and the variations it comes in whilst still retaining the cartoon aesthetic. To start with i made a background for the image for this i used a gradient of blue to light blue for the background layer. Then i added some grass for this i used the pre-set grass brush head and chose two colours a spring-green and a brown-green i then painted the grass onto the image in a new layer. Next i added the clouds i constructed these in the same way i did for my last poster.

Next i wanted to make the images of the munny’s i had and add patterns and textures to them while still retaining the 3d shape of the toys. For this i found an excellent tutorial here showing how to use displacement maps to achieve a realistic texture wrapping effects. Once i knew how to achieve this i collected and created some textures to wrap them with. For the tartan munny’s in the foreground i used an image of google images. For the other textures i found some tutorials on generating textures using photoshop these where- Wood texture (which was mainly using the paintbrush tools but makes quite a nice effect), Fur texture (which is a very simple and effective method) and finally something called cell texture (I found this by accident whilst looking at textures and thought it looked so weird i had to use it.).

After i had created my textures i started to apply the texture wraps to them (as outlined in above link). By using different blend modes achieved several different outcomes using the same textures. Once i had filled the lower half of the poster with a satisfying variation of toys i decided to add some to the sky as well (this would help unify it with the previous poster i had made.) For this i texture wrapped some more munny’s and re-sized them to make them smaller added the parachutes i had created for the previous poster (inverting the colour on some) and positioned them in the sky at suitably jaunty angles. After i was happy with my poster i added the finishing touches the text. For this i again used the same font, colours and styles of the previous posters (as they are all quite striking images i wanted to make sure they where all connected visually in an obvious way to give the consumer brand awareness.).

Over all i am happy with my posters i feel i have achieved what i set out to aesthetically and the content is suited for the market. My only real criticism is that i didn’t have enough time to make my forth poster i had planned (which was to bring the series round full circle and have a giant munny attacking London mirroring the original Tokyo attack poster i made).

session 7

This week in class we had free time again to work on our blogs and posters. I got my blogs up to date then put the finishing touches on my poster i added the text (for which i used the same font, colours and effects as i had in the first poster to try and visually tie them together.). then i adjusted the positioning of the parachuting toys (see slightly jaunty angles) to give more of a sense of movement and realism to the image.

Session 6

This week we got given free time to work on our posters. So i have started doing my second design which is the start of the UK invasion. For this i wanted a strong image to represent the UK so i went on google images to find an aerial shot of the UK (as it would be impossible to take one myself). I ended up with this image:

To make this image work in my poster i first had to make a selection around the outline of the island using a combination of the lasso tool and the paintbrush while in quick mask mode. After i was happy with my selection i used the clone stamp tool to remove the writing and the yellow outlines from the image. I then went back to google images and got a picture of the union jack flag. Then with the outline of the UK selected i applied it the union jack image to get the cut out identical to apply over the top of the UK picture. I then lowered the opacity of the union jack and used an overlay blend mode so you could see the texture of the image below through it. Once i was happy with the image i combined the layers so i could edit them using image adjustments without effecting any other elements of the poster. With image adjustments i used hue saturation to make the colours more vibrant and bold to fit in with the cartoon aesthetic i was aiming for.

My finished image:

The next part of the poster i had to construct was the sea surrounding the UK. For this i decided to create the sea from scratch using photoshop as opposed to finding a image to cut and paste as i wanted it to look right and fit in well with my ideas. I found a useful sea creation tutorial online and followed that. Using just 3 layers, 2 gradients, with the application of 2 filters (render>fibers and distort>glass) and subtle use of burn/dodge and a low opacity erasure it makes quite a satisfying effect. To finish the sea effect off i used edit>transform>warp to give the rounded appearance to both layers of the sea. My finished background:

For the next piece of my image i wanted to create some clouds in the sky for this i found a cloud tutorial online. This was probably one of the most complected tutorials i have tried as it has many stages and involves making your own brush head in photoshop. The basics of achieving this effect are first create your own brush (by opening a document and filling it using render>clouds, then cutting out a sample of it and feathering the edges and then removing all the blank pixels so you have a small blob of cloud then just go to edit>define brush preset), then using the clouds brush painting in some simple cloud shapes (using white as the foreground colour and a light grey for the background colour), then you add more contrast (achieved by clipping a layer of 50% grey to the cloud shapes and using the burn tool on the top section of the cloud to bring out more contrast), next is adding shadow to the cloud (this is achieved by adding a gradient adjustment layer of dark blue to clear and clipping it to the clouds then painting black onto the layer mask on the gradient on the top edges of the clouds to remove the gradient and give some highlights.), finally tie it all together and give the correct colour tone (to do this add a fill adjustment layer filled with dark grey/blue with the blending mode set to colour.). Then to add some finishing touches to the clouds i put in some small wispy clouds in the background (for this you paint some small lines across the sky using the cloud brush with a small brush head then apply a motion blur). My finished clouds:

Next i wanted to add in the Yokai toys parachuting in. For this i used some of the pictures i had taken of the Munny toys and brought in the contrast using image adjustments>levels and added colour using hue and saturation, clicking the colorize tab and moving the sliders til i was happy. Next i drew a parachute in photoshop using the pen tool and added some shading to it by painting in some black along the bottom right edge and applying a Gaussian blur to it once i was happy i combined the layers to make it easier to work with and move etc on my canvas. i then put the parachute and Yokai together and added a few details like the strings on the parachute and the harness on the yokai. I made three of these (with varying colour schemes) and placed them in the poster in such a way that it would draw you into the image. the completed image:

Session 5 homework

After working on my first poster (the Tokyo attack) i have decided on how they will interconnect. I am going to go with the idea of an on running story as they are a Japanese import (that has already conquered the Japanese market) i am doing an invasion theme with the first being set in japan (which i have already completed) and the next showing them traveling/invading the U.K. (all being a metaphor for them taking over the market and being the next big thing). The next poster will be set in the U.K. almost mirroring the first poster in a b-movie style (think Godzilla etc.) with people running away from the giant toys. I have been developing these ideas in my sketchbook.

Session 4 homework

After doing the mock up posters in the illustrative style of rueben rude art i have decided that this is the way i want to go with my project. so for this i have been looking at the Adobe Illustrator tutorials available to us on the metalib website. This have proved to be very interesting and useful and given me more freedom with what i want to achieve with my project. The over all aesthetic i am looking at going for in my posters is an illustrative feel used in conjunction with photographs of the toys and locations to give it a grounded feeling. The juxtaposition of the the comic/cartoon style of the illustrations i am using and the realism of the photographs should give it a fantastical, exaggerated feeling while still having elements of familiarity for the viewer to associate with.

I have decided on having a joining theme to keep the poster tied together. I am not totally sure which way to take this as there are several possibility’s i have been thinking about. Some of these are either have the posters interconnecting, so if you lined them up side by side they would form one large poster. Other possibility’s are to have a running story so each one leads onto the next like in a teaser advertising campaign.

session 3

This week we covered some tutorials on basic compositions and techniques in photoshop. For this we made up two posters in class with premade components the first was a poster for a jewelers with an image of a necklace. For the design we used a gradient for the background with a highlighted area under the necklace to give it a spotlight effect, to add to this effect we then used a drop shadow on the necklace to make it pop out and give it context within the picture. The next image we worked on was an advert for a male perfume this time we used a solid colour for the background and added a highlight to it for where the bottle would be. Next we added a reflection of the bottle by copying the layer and flipping it on its horizontal axis then we lowered the opacity and positioned it under the first bottle. We also added a layer mask and faded it out as it got further from the bottle.

After i had finished the two tutorials i decided to try out some of the techniques on some posters of my own for designer toys. the first one i did was this:

This was made using the same layout and design as the perfume advert with the use of spotlight behind the toy and the reflection underneath. I also used some patterns over the gradient for the background to add more detail to the image. To do this i found some images i liked off google image search imported them into photoshop and set them as new patterns. I then used a layer mask to rub out the patterns below the text to make it more legible and stand out more.

My second poster:

For this one i was experimenting with a more illustrative style on the Japanese theme. All the images i used where collected off google images again. I found a nice Japanese flag/sun image for the background, then i got the “the great wave off kanagawa” by Hokusai which i cut out and layered over the sun. with the text i played around with the effects buttons to see what was possible with them using drop shadows, inner glows and embosses etc.

Over all i was pleased with both my posters and it gave me lots of ideas and new techniques to use with my final designs. I think the text effects will come in very useful later as it gives it a professional touch and seems to finish them off well.

session 5

Today we had a free day to start getting our final poster design sorted. I have been working on the first of my four posters on the yokai theme. As it is a Japanese import product i wanted to convey a sense of the build up and journey for the release. The first is of a destroyed Tokyo skyline with a giant yokai stood in the wreckage. For this design i had to create most of the images myself as it is mostly in the illustrative style of the other posters I’ve been looking at.

The techniques I’ve had to use are making smoke and fire from scratch for this i found some useful tutorials online here: smoke , fire .

Other pieces i have been using where a image of the Tokyo skyline which i got from google images. Which i had to cut out then distress (to look ruined) for this i used a splatter effect brush on the erasure tool and nibbled away at the buildings till i was satisfied. Then i desaturated the image and applied a note paper effect to it to give it an illustrated feel like the rest of the poster. I did this twice with different image balance to give it more depth.

I then used the photo of the munny toy i took and brought the levels in so it has more defined shading. Then i colourised it using the hue/saturation tool in image adjustments and applied a graphic pen sketch filter to it so it took on an illustrative style to fit the rest of the poster.

For the bamboo in the foreground i drew them from scratch in illustrator and imported them into photoshop.

my finished poster——->

session 4

This week we looked at specialised effects to use within our projects including peeling away an image, filling text, vector drawings, custom shapes, textures and changing colours within an image. I also made some more poster mock ups for my project.

This poster on the left was made using custom shapes downloaded from deviant art.

The poster on the right was based on the style of rueben rudes art work and posters. Most of the imagery for this poster was drawn within photoshop apart from the toys which where pictures i took.

homework

This week i have been trying to find primary and secondary images for my project and look for influential posters/art that appeals to me for my project. For this i have been taking a more in depth look at the urban vinyl market and the designers this has lead me to various sources for images.

for the art and posters i have been looking into lowbrow art/pop surrealism which seems to have close ties with the urban vinyl community with many lowbrow artists contributing to the urban vinyl scene. Some of the artists i find inspiring are:

Tara McPherson – I like the way she has a dark, sinister feel in her pictures and yet also suggests a sweeter, softer subtext with subtle use of the colour pallette.

she has worked in many fields including posters, paintings, toys (urban vinyl) and comic books.

other artists include mark ryden who’s themes include toys in a surreal world, meat, children and pop culture refrences.

tim biskup

for my secondry source material i have been doing back ground design ideas in my sketchbook and taken some photo’s of a blank munny vinyl toy with the intent of modifing it in photoshop to use in my work.

homework

To help move my project on and try and get idea’s ready for layout etc. i have been trying to find adverts, posters and web pages for urban vinyl/designer toys to find inspiration. i would like to see what the professional market is like and how they direct their campaigns.

sites i have found of interest for this:

clutter magazine – an UK based magazine covering the art and culture of designer toys i a copy as i think it could give me a good idea of how other people market the toys.

vinyl abuse online magazine – an online arts and toy magazine with a nice layout.

hi-fructose – an interesting looking magazine focusing on the artists who work in the “alternative” market seems to have regular features on urban vinyl.