manipulated photos from photo shoot

photo manips from photoshoot

I wanted to model my textiles piece as it wouldn't fit onto a mannequin, but I could only get the photo suite on the Friday just before the physical work hand in date without a computer lesson in between, or long term access to a . So as I didn't want the photographs to be wasted, I chose to manipulate the images and use them to further my digital arts grade. 

new legs

with the theme of the project being coast, I wanted to make a link to the little mermaid. the one issue I faced with making this image is in the original book, Ariel's tail was spilt by a magical double edged blade I felt that it might be weird to make something like that so I decided to make it in the Disney orientation of the story.

First I used the quick select tool to select the trousers, then after changing the colours on the gradient tool I added a blue fading on the top and bottom of the trousers as if the scales had changed into green skinny jeans.

After that I unlocked the background layer and imported an image onto the layer below. Using the quick select tool I selected and deleted the background. 

But now I have to delete the empty space between the treads as a larger area of white doesn't look all that good in a photo manipulation where someone in placed into another photograph. Which was achieved though the use of the magic erase tool. I came across this by looking through the tools to make the job easier as the quick select tool just kept selecting the whole area and so did the magic wand tool, I thought abut checking the erase tools and I found this icon and seeing that it was a rubber with the magic wand tool spark behind I put 2 and 2 together.

After this discovery I made great process in the completion of the removal of the white spacing, which would have originally taken too long to do. The results of using this tool was easier and I got a better outcome than if I used the magic wand or the quick select tool.

Now due to the lighting in the photo suite there is a lot of shadow on the body, so to make the presence of the model in the location seem more realistic I selected the body again and using the paint tool on 0% hardness and 75% opacity I added black onto the edges of the body that correlate with the shadows in the photograph.

I wanted to make sure everything was shadowed as sometimes I've seen photoshopped images and some parts haven't been shadowed correctly and for me it ruins the image.

Now to make the presence of the model truly realistic and most obviously what I needed to add was a shadow. By using the polygon lasso tool I was able too limit where the shadow would go as without it the shadow would simply go over the rocks and ruin the idea of even putting a shadow there. The shadow was painted on with the hardness on 4% and opacity was on 100%.

final outcome

green hair

For this photograph I wanted the hair to be a green or blue as with the theme being coast. To do so was to select the hair and using the colour replace tool option in the "adjustments" menu on the top bar, then changing the fuzziness as only the hair was selected, then by sliding the 'hue' slider to -??? which changed all the colour of everything selected into a blue colour.

As colour replacing is only simple I wanted to add something a little more complex into the image. As the neck is exposed I wanted to add gills to it, which I thought was going to be a little bit more complex.

After selecting a section of skin under the collar bone, as I felt the texture of the skin looked like what I imagine the skin on human gills would look like, I found a warp shape function on free transform tool which allows the shape of the selected item, this made it possible to curve the skin around the neck allowing a more realistic physiology to the idea of gills on the body.

To complete the realism of the gills i needed to add shadow under the gills. by selecting with the oblong  selection tool the shaping it was the quick select tool, then with the paint tool on 0% hardness i added the shadows.

final outcome

Coastal poster designs

Poster creations

for my final piece in graphic design I was asked to make either a poster or an interactive leaflet, as you can tell by the heading I chose to make a poster advertising Llandudno, one to young people and another to families. The main difficulty I faced was creating 2 separate designs differentiating towards the 2 target audiences.

first poster design

for my first design i wanted to find a form of local landmark in the area to get my inspiration. As i didn't want to make a piece based around the pier's and focus onto the natural landscape of the Llandudno area, i chose an image of a cliff like area near to Llandudno. But that was only part of the design that had to be achieved.

Now all i had to find was inspiration to make an actual design for the poster. i remembered of a particular style of art which uses illustrator onto photographs, making them more interesting but due to the fact that the last time i saw work similar to what i was thinking about was made months, if not years ago, the issue was finding the work to relate to so you can understand what my initial ideas for the creation of my work is from.



Although it is mainly reserved for zombie like dipping bright coloured flesh and/or white text on some sort of galactic and/or natural themed image i liked the difference between the realistic and the cartoon or thin white text. But as i felt that the look of these didn't really link to the theme of coast very well, i felt that by using the pen tool to make white edges on the contours of the cliffs would be interesting and with little or no text would further create curiosity.

Although this Is a picture of a landmark of Llandudno, as you can tell it very hard to tell that it is of Llandudno, so of course a simple thing that i have to change is to add text. I want to keep the text as minimal as possible as so the curiosity of the viewer will last them until they get home, whether it is in 10 minutes or 3 hours, in order to make this possible i have chosen to simply put "Llandudno" in a simple font that expresses little to the view. I wanted to make the text thin and elongated this will just be for aesthetic prepossess.

secondary poster design

following the inspiration of the usage of white lines standing out from the photographs, i felt that by looking at my photographs i found one in which i photographed a local map used by tourists. I felt that by using the pen tool again and drawing in the lines of the roads of the map i could create an interesting and abstract look to the poster.

By using the pen tool on the roads and only the roads i found that i created a very unique effect, but as the maps roads were (add colour of the roads) i wanted to make it stand out more and all the effects that i could think of took away from the poster. I came to the realisation that i could use another photograph of the Llandudno area to create a creative effect.

by using a photograph of a small of the only jetty in Llandudno, it not only acts as landmark but as it its the only one there it will remind the viewer of the location and the the poster and vies-verso. It also allows the lines to stand out and doesn't take away from the overall image, it also allowed text to be used on it again in white so it all ties together. I feel that this advertises to families as the interesting design would create interest in the minds of children as well as the parents.

third poster design

After seeing my 2nd poster design, Steve suggested i should do a more detailed version using the ordinance survey maps of the area, buts as i didn't want to just make one exactly the same so as the roads on the ordinance survey maps look different compared to the local tourist one. I decided to use different line thicknesses to distinguish the different importance of the roads.

As again i wanted to make the lines stand out from the lines to stand out from the photographs i wanted to use a photograph but rather than an open landscape or any sort of open shot i wanted to go with a more intimate feel and use one of my close ups or the rusted areas around the jetty as the random details that are naturally produced by the clinging of seaweed and various other sea plant life.

As with my other posters i think the simple illustration of a certain area or object is simply not enough to advertise the area of Llandudno well enough so by adding "Llandudno" along with the photograph advertises the simplistic beauty of the area, as i feel the location not only looked beautiful but the people around they were friendly and not troubled by trivial matters like we are. so the simplicity of the poster expresses the same.

6 Experimental pieces

focusing on:

• line 
• colour
• pattern
• shape

text selection tool

For this tool I wanted to experiment with line more than the other points as with the use of text could create shapes and lines with their bases and tops.

By using my photographs as the primary source of inspiration, I click and held on the text tool until the text tool menu popped up then I selected the 'horizontal type mask tool' (there is also a vertical type mask tool but for my work I preferred to use the horizontal), after clicking near the wanted area of selection, the image will get a red wash over it and then I was able to type the word(s) I wanted.

After selecting which font I wanted and the size of the text I typed it out the word I wanted, then click on the tick in the top bar in the centre which converted the shape of the text into a selected area.

Once the tick is clicked and the shape is a selection area, I was able to copy the area and paste it into a separate document and change it's size and angle to whatever I choose

coast - criteria 1

select and analyse three examples of graphic design that are designed for tourists:

• 1 web page
• 1 poster
• 1 leaflet

on your blog, screenshot and annotate each example use this to help inspire ideas for your designs.

New Zealand

discuss:

text font= the simple font of all of the areas are the same so it isn't annoying or to difficult to read and have an equal distance the edges so the reader is able to focus of it more without distractions of what is going on around it and not leave large areas of emptiness to be wasting web space.

colours= the colours one the text blocks are contrasting to the background but not too much as to confuse and hurt the eyes. the colours of the background are very natural and the tones haven't been emphasized or altered which gives off a very truthful image of what New Zealand is like.

layout= the simplicity of the layout doesn't say a lot of things about New Zealand but I think that the lack of things on the page attractions the curiosity of what New Zealand is like, and as I have been there it is just like that, in the sense of you'll be walking down the street and there will be an amazing unknown café.

images (vector and bitmap)= the bitmap image in used or the background is a high definition photograph and has no pixelation, and the vector image in the centre that boarder around the text are very much in the centre of the page which really draws the eyes but the "100% PURE NEW ZEALAND" and "New Zealand trade and enterprise" are bitmap images but are good enough quality that the only way you can tell is though zooming in to about 300%

interactivity= as the layout is very simple so is the interactivity making the website easy to use and there are no issues or confusion in what to click to go where as they are very obviously labelled by text and colours surrounding them.

backgrounds= here is the only issue with this webpage, due to the quality of the photograph if the internet is slow then you need to wait as the image loads in order to use the website or risk the page becoming non-responsive.
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boston.com

Text: the font is very early to read, and although there is a smaller text that is quite hard to read off the bat, but once you focus in it's easy to read which is good so you don't get confused as to which artical you are reading. The size of the headlines are large enough so if you are intrigued it is easy to read very quickly but isn't too big as to waste space.

Colour: the colour scheme with this site is limited but it adds to it's overall effect, as it the stereotype with links on the internet they are blue but rather than that being an annoyance they have made it part of the scheme by using the same colour in the background. Using different shades of the same colour for the different areas, such as the leisure articles and bordering the advertisements.

Layout: the way the site is set out is to look like a newspaper, which i think has been achieved but even though it looks similar to an american newspaper there is, at first glance, an overwhelming feeling and the feeling only disappears once you notice the small dotted lines separating the articles. overall i think the layout is a good representation of a newspaper but to lower the original feeling of being overwhelmed would be to make the dots larger, but only slightly so they are more visible on the first glance.

Photographs: as the photographs are not there for decoration but to draw your attention and to provide additional information, there is little to add on apart from that they fit well with the articles they are describing.

Graphics: The decorative uses of the vector images are to draw attention, separate the articles, and boarding the non written areas. they are effective in there purposes but i feel that the top bar could be designed better as the colours don't particularly fit with the rest of the page, the colours are right but they don't fit every well due to the lower bar's colours only being connected to the dots dividing the articles but also the lower bar separates the top bar from the rest of the page due to its different size, font and colours.

Background: The background is simple design so there is little to talk about it, the dark blue contrasting with the white draws you attention to either depending on which one you are looking at, most obviously if you are looking at the white, especially towards the edges they could be desecrating but due to the text and the distance between the text and the edge the desecration towards the simple dark background has a minimal chance of occurring.
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Hipmunk.com

Criteria 1:understand the potential of digital media in contemporary art and design practice

task 1

Analyse a minimum of three examples of digital media i.e. graphic design advertisement, fashion design, illustration

What is it used for and does it work?

What techniques were used?

Compare different pieces

Express your own opinion

illustrator

 

this piece is an advertisement poster for 'the frootful art ensemble' by Millie Marotta. although this is used as an advert i think it is quiet hard to get the idea of what 'the frootful art ensemble'  are, but after looking i turns out they are a band and that they are also a group of artist's but if she wanted people to look them up and get interested therefore more likely to go on the their website and/or their live gigs then yes it works.

personally i like the art style and the use of line along with the limited colour palette, i would but be interested in the band and look them up.

i think she uses abode illustrator and traces a photograph to do a detailed sketch and then using the pen tool to add detail to the feathers, then also using the pen tool to write out the name, dates and then erasing lines and leaving areas unfilled to make this effect

i particularly like this artist because her art style is very angular and sharp, but how she does it is a bit of a struggle to find out, i think she either draws her design out on paper then scans it into the computer and adds colour over the top by either photoshop or illustrator, or she uses a tables to draw straight into illustrator then adds colour.

I think the reason of this is just for art sake but she also i this is a piece of character design because her name is .EXE and she has been used in another piece called (hash-key)12.

fashion design

all though all of designing in fashion is done most commonly in a the same way (by hand) the original way is through either life drawing of someone is a similar cut item of clothing and then adding detial or adding parts onto it. the modern way is by either tracing a simple stencil of a person and then free handing the dress on and rubbing out the no longer needed lines, or the completely free handing the dress and the model wearing it

stencil example

free handed example

The pieces I am comparing are the top design and the free hand example piece. Although the top one is of the original technique and that the other one is the modern way and that tastes and expectation of both art styles are different, I think that the top one is very time consuming, can restrict the design possibilities also it isn't very good to make a lot of designs but with the modern way of making them I feel they do the job by showing the designs and what materials they need and the quality of the designs can impact the  outcomes but by simply re-drawing a detailed versions can make outcome be changed slightly to fit the designers ideas, although in some cases the differences can be completely change the entire item of clothing.

book illustration

Book illustration is an integral part of telling the story but has mainly been used in children's books, to guild the minds of the child reading as some parts of the story can be hard to fully visualize.

As I have mention the usage of Book illustration is to guild the visualisation of what the author and/or illustrator have pictured the characters or situation to look like but it can also be used to decorate the pages and in certain situations both. The decorative elements of books are mainly used as bordering the pages and separating the columns of text which is most famed through the hand written and hand drawn pages of the bible and other religious scripts created by monks.

Although I have previously stated that it is mainly used in children's fictional books, there usage in non-fiction are equally, if not even more important, this was especially useful before the age of photography as descriptive language can only point so close to the actual visual representation of what it truly is.

non-fiction book illustration

The art of illustrating books is certainly a varied spectrum of techniques and styles but there are 4 main ways of creating book illustration:

• Printing press: After reading or writing what is in the situation or what the character(s) look like the artist creates a print of what is they believe what it/they will look like and then place the text around the image(s) according to there shape and then print it.
• Drawn and then scanned in: this one is more popular with indie artist and writer as there is more of an artistic feeling to it this also cuts on the cost and saves time in the creation of the final book and it's designs. Another that this technique is enforced is through creating or refining the design through artistic software like Photoshop or adobe illustrator.
• Photography: This one is more used in non-fictional books but in very rare occasion can be used in fiction pieces with the usage of costumes, props and location.
• Hand drawn: This technique is a very simple one as all you need to do is draw onto the pages as you are writing them or before you write out the page. This was used for hundreds years before the printing was created and therefore many of the books are either one of a kind or lost throughout the years but is still being created contemporary to add a very personal feelings to what they are writing as there is nothing like it in the world and is most commonly used in presents and confessions of romantic feelings. 

an example of drawn and scanned in

printed book illustration

The comparison between these two are very drastic as the manner of which they were created were done in different ways, but the feelings of personality are similar. Although there is a usual feeling that drawing the are and scanning in usually has a personal feeling from it, which I do feel but I get more of that feeling from printed illustrations, as when you scan in your art and type or place the text around it all you need to do is press print and say you want so many copies, where as with printing there is a more laborious feeling in the books creation, due to having to ink up and place the template and carve out the design.

My opinion of book illustration is that I love the look of both scanned in and printed illustrations, but I do not like the photographic one as if the photographs involve people the idea of every photo there is either every single type of person in it, it feels as though they are screaming "we're not racist/sexist/homophobic" when no body would think they would be if there wasn't every type of person in the photographs. But in saying that when the photographic books are not about people or communities then I enjoy them as I don't get the feelings that they are trying too hard to avoid offence and the fact that the books that are fictional and uses photography are very good quality and genuinely help guild the reader through what is going on or what someone looks like.

process diary

using the scanner to import the image into the computer i clicked the 'details' button to select the area to import from the scan into the computer rather than scanning the entire A4 sheet.

after than using either the eyedropper tool or typing the numbers in the gbr scales to the colours wanted (as most of them were greys and blacks) i then using the polygon lasso tool to select linear parts of the image and then using the set swatches i used the fill tool to block in the areas