Photoshop

Band Posters

To begin this project I wrote down all my initial ideas for the type of band, visuals that fit the name, and ways to make the poster appear old or traditionally made. I then used those ideas to draw up quick thumbnailed visuals.

Inspiration

For the first poster design I experimented with, I used the lasso tool to create a jagged edged, screen-printed look. From there I changed the colours to CMYK from RGB so that they looked more faded as they would if they were actually printed. I used a old printed looking font to match the illustration.

I used a scanned in image of packing tape to add some texture to the piece as well as making it look like it exists in the physical world. I used an overlay of colour ​set the 'multiply' at 26% opacity over the tape to make it appear translucent and like it merges to belong on the poster. 

I then experimented with the placement of type more, trying out different places where it would look more prominent. On the last image shown I overlayed different ink and paper textures I had scanned in to further emphasize the printed visual.

For the next poster I decided to try and make my digital drawing look traditional using chalk and pencil brushes. I don't think that this was incredibly successful as it still looks highly digital. I used a drop shadow that replicated how it would look if it were scanned in and the added perlin noise to add a grainy texture along with coffee stains and burn marks that I found online.

After the tutorial we were given I attempted another poster using the techniques we were shown. I started by drawing out a sketch using fineliner which I then photographed and edited using level correction to get clean lines and a white background. I then used a chalk brush to roughly colour in the illustration as though it were done traditionally. I then added tone made up of dots to give a printed feel. I let the blue of the background show through the items of the image so it looked like it was printed using a layered technique.

I then added type that I thought matched the style of illustration which I warped to fit the perspective of the meat and then added a black outline to the further fit the illustration. I also added more shading to the piece to give it more deffinition.

For the final variation of the poster I added a sticker to the top right with the date of the concert which I overlayed with a shiny texture to make it appear like a real foil sticker. I also added the venue and used a clipping mask to change the colour of the text so it was easier to read. I also added a tour name to the bottom.

Illustrator

Pop Culture Pins

For this project I wrote down all the franchises I thought would fit this brief and drew out some quick thumbnails of the three designs and characters I could use for the pins. I ultimately decided on choosing the film 'The Wicker Man' as I thought it would  be the most visually interesting since I wouldn't just be drawing regular looking people.

Pin Design Sketches

The 'Punch' costume plays an iconic role in the film so I felt that it was fitting to make and is also more visually interesting than drawing Sergeant Howie out of costume. I started by drawing out a simplified version of the mask which I then edited to be slightly more detailed. I felt the initial line thickness was a bit too thick as some detail was lost so I decreased it.

The second character I chose was Lord Summerisle. I wanted to capture the length of his wig as well as the grandeur of his stance in my illustration. I decided to rotate what he was holding so that the pin design appeared more balanced.

The final character I chose was Rowan Morrison. I decided to make her expression fearful.

Session Task

In the session task I used illustrator for the first time and found it quite difficult to work out and maneuver. Although as I continued on with it I slowly got more comfortable using it and found it easier to pick up.

Pin Vectors

I added a thicker outline to my pin to make the inner lines stand out more and appear more put together.

I thought that the head initially appeared too small in contrast to the rest of the design so I made it slightly larger and then added white the eyes as I felt it gave the pin more life.

I thought that I had the same problem as the last pin with the face too small, but when I placed the larger version side by side with the Lord Summerisle pin and found it was much too big so I changed it back to the initial design. I also added white to the eyes and mouth.

Backing Cards

To make the swords weaved so they interlock, I duplicated the full image and used 'difference' to cut the ends of the swords off and layered it on top of the original.

I wanted to keep the text on the backing cards simple as the sword illustration was quite complex.

I felt that the purple was too vibrant and gaudy in comparison to the pins so I changed it to a brown earthy tone that I think better reflects the colour palette of the movie. The brown makes the vibrant colours of the pins stand out more clearly.