The Last Antigone - Final Image

Finally it is done!

After adding in my details I then combined them all by adding a mist to the background. The mist is a layer of colour that I ran the clouds filter over and then masked it with a gradient so that only the parts of the background in the distance were covered.

This served a number of purposes. It separated Antigone and the fantail from the background giving more depth to the image, it helped to fade the tree into the background making it more a part of the image, and also very importantly it added atmosphere.

I then needed to make sure that all the pieces had an overall colour, completing the illusion. I rendered a lighting effect using a red light and a directional spotlight. The effect was quite harsh so I then faded the overall effect until it was just subtle enough to complete the illusion and hey presto the image is complete.

Then it was onto the typeface to use. I love type I consider it to be just as important to get right as the image itself, the wrong typeface or used incorrectly can really destroy an image. It's one of the things I find frustrating about the web, the need to use universal typefaces that everyone has it would be so cool if we could all just embed our own typefaces into our web pages. Maybe you can and I just haven't figured out how yet, I'm not a web designer don't claim to be!

Anyway for this image it needed a font that continued with the theme, the picture is like a dark fairytale and all dark fairytale images say to me Art Nouveau. So I chose an Art Nouveau font that had a straight edge to the A, simply so that it would fit alongside Antigone's back and neatly inside the gate where it would be framed making it clearly the most important piece of the text. Also for those in the know the red A (the same red as the apple) will also allude to the anarchist qualities of Antigone's actions in the play.

So know that it's done I simply need to add the details like sponsored by and where and when. The response so far to the picture has been fantastic, cast and crew love it and everyone that Wayne (the director) shows it to is really impressed, here's hoping that some more work comes out of it. I would love to work in this area of design it really gives freedom to my creativity so much more so than product advertising.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

To see more of the picture and larger images of the details go to my website and view the portfolio. www.beachcast.co.nz/portfolio.html

New Zealand Native Birds

After completing the wasp and the apples on and under the tree I decided it was time to start adding some wild life.

I have included a beautiful little jewelled gecko which rare as they are I am lucky to have a number living in the bush around where I live, they can be tricky to get photos of though as they scare and move quickly and when they do sun themselves the little beggars usually leave their heads in the bush. I have found a great photo to use though which fits in nicely.

















By far the biggest challenge with wildlife has been the birds, their wings are partially translucent especially in flight.

I had to mask firstly around the edge of the birds and then using the black brush at various opacities I brushed over the wings to alow the back ground in my picture to show through and effect their colour. Giving the Fantastic result seen below. Very whimsical I think. This beautiful fantail picture was kindly provided for the project by Kerry Mitchel, you can see more of her stunning work a http://www.pbase.com/kerrym/root

Using the same process I also added the spoonbill in flight (Top) and the pukeko (below). So that the pukeko would fit in with the background, tree and the apples that it was amongst I also ran a dry brush filter over it and then faded the effect so that it was just enough to make the bird fit with it's surroundings.