Digital Illustration 2012

I have completed my first submission for the new assignment, Digital Illustration and Motion Graphics.

The first section, Digital Illustration has 3 submissions each on the theme of Contrasting Opposites.  We will then chose our favourite and create an animation using, I think, After Effects.

So here is week 4's submission, Masculine & Feminine.  I have to write a 300 word piece to accompany it, posted below.

Masculine/Feminine

I upped the brightness and contrast on the portrait of Phil, who was set in frame using the 2/3 rule.  I cut him out using the pen tool, duplicated the layer and applied a watercolour filter.

The original layer was adjusted with threshold.  Setting a level, for lighter pixels turn to white and darker to black.  This is a great way to get contrasty B&W images from a colour or greyscale pic.

I blended the two layers with multiply and merged them, this allows the colours to show right through the white parts of the image on the above layer.

I set a new layer and painted some splats with my new watercolour brushes, selecting what I perceive to be girly colours, pinks, purples, golds, bright shades of green and turquoise.  These colours I feel are in contrast to the portrait of a chap who is very much a blokey bloke.  To really hit the message home I included the combined male and female symbols.

I added a layer mask to this ‘colours’ layer.  I copied the image from the ‘merged’ layer, inverted the colours so the layer mask hid the Blacks, and reveals the Whites and hid the ‘merged layer.

I created a new layer which sits beneath the ‘coloured head’. This was to give the appearance of light trails.  To do this I did a rough lasso around the head and set a pink gradient radiating from behind the head and shoulders.  This gives an element of depth. I used the lasso tool as to contain the gradient, as the blending mode of the other layer allows the colours to shine through, I didn’t want this.

For the light trails themselves I drew some swirls with the pen tool and I applied the brush tool to the path, in white.  I selected the blend mode on the layer and applied a pink colour with outer glow.  I duplicated this layer twice, adding a gaussian blur to one and a radial blur for a vibration effect on the other, offsetting them slightly.

I duplicated and merged these layers, blending as overlay.  This option both darkens the darker colours (as multiply) and lightens the lighter areas (as screen does).

Next I added more light trails and glitter using some brushes that I downloaded.  The glitter gives a bokeh effect which I am rather partial to.

I scanned in a painting of a tropical flowers, duplicated this, changing the colours with the replace colour tool, rotating with transform.

Lastly I added a background texture using a photograph of some flowers, I applied the photocopy filter, inverted the colours and played with the levels and opacity.

Must thank a load of people who helped me create these:

Axeraider70 on Deviant Art for the light brushes, honeydesign for the Sumi Ink brushes,  whatsername777, madamsvito and qbrushes for the coffee stains. Bluefaqs, Abduzeedo and Rahul Jha on 10steps for the tutorials for watercolour effects, Wegraphics and Sandy on Brusheezy  for the watercolour brushes and Brushking for the Fake Glitter brush.  Mustn't forget, actor Phil Higton, for having such a great head!

Mark awarded = 73