Post 4) DVD Cover ideas - 26/02/2014

I have been creating a new image of the Dragasus for ideas of the DVD cover, ideas that are seen in the image may be used in the final cover design.

I used the same lizard and background images as I felt that these where the best images to start with as they were the easiest to edit and the most familiar images. I used a different image for the wings to obtain a different effect.

As I wanted to make my Dragasus in a different colour from last time I knew that I would need to mess around with adjustments, because of this I needed to copy the lizard image so that I could cut out the log and place it over the original log in the lizard image. This has made it so that I could give the Dragasus and wings a new colour while the log remains unchanged.

With the Dragasus I needed to make the following adjustments: Hue/Saturation, Brightness/Contrast, Colour Balance. Hue/Saturation was also used on the wings to match the body colour, all of this would make the Dragasus a more colourful character and stand out more.

In order to keep track of everything and for easier editing, I separate each image into their own layers as this would make sure that if any editing went wrong only a small part of image would be effected and easier to fix. The use of folders to group various layers together such as the wings and shadows made it easier for me to know where everything is.

In order to keep lighting detail to a minimum I decided to cut out part of the background and add a sky background which was rotated and recoloured to have clouds in the background but also to not hint at a proper time of day to effect the shadows with the recolour there to give a more fantasy feel to the image as well as to make other parts of the image stand out, for this I chose a shade of orange as it is opposite to blue in the colour wheel so they would stand out against each other.

I used the Quick selection and Magnetic lasso tool for selecting parts of the images to edit quickly and the Lasso tool for more detailed selection because of the level of detail the Lasso tool can give me.

The Brush tool was used to create the shadow effects while using Blending modes and different opacity percentages where used to give the different shadows different effects that they needed and finally the Smudge tool to make the wings blend into the body more to give this creature a more realistic feel.

(The images in this blog post are my property and unauthorised use is not allowed)

Post 3) Dragon Concept - 19/02/2014

For the dragon in this movie I am thinking about using feathered wings instead of skin and scale based wings.

The idea came to me as I was taking pictures with my camera and came across some swans. The look and angle of their wings looked like they could fit well on the body of a reptile. Another reason for this is that I have not seen a dragon of this type before so it will be an original design.

After having this idea I then took lots of pictures to choose from. These included the lake near my home for the background, various wildlife and the family pet.

I created the concept image in Photoshop. I did this by taking the wing from the cygnet (young swan) and then adding it to the picture of the pet bearded dragon (the lizard).
I used the magnetic tool to select the wing of the cygnet as I needed a rough concept quickly to see if it is possible.

Concept names:
Pegasus Dragon
Dragasus
I find myself leaning towards Dragasus as the name for this creation.

The link below was the tutorial I used to help create the concept image.
http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-design-a-dramatic-winged-dragon-with-photoshop--psd-346



This Image is the first result of my work to create this creature as a basic concept to see if the idea work.

(The images in this blog post are my property and unauthorised use is not allowed)

In conclusion I feel that this design has work well and the next step is improving it.

Post 2) DVD Template - 17/02/2014

 

I'm going to need a basic template for my DVD cover that will be made to the measurements of a Amaray DVD Case which also has some space to bleed the cover. I am using this type of case as it is an international standard.

I have found an image that gives me the measurements that I need and in millimetres also including the bleed area and the spine.

I need the measurements in millimetres as it will allow more accurate designs on Photoshop.

The link to image can be found below:
http://www.yusrablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DVD-Case-Inlay-for-Amaray-dvd.jpg

Post 1) Brainstroming Ideas - 12/02/2014

For this idea of mine I have decided to go for an animated style movie. It will be based around dragons similar to Dreamwork's How to train your Dragon. The story will be about a dragon without the ability to fly, I'm am undecided about how I will show this at this moment.

I am also undecided about using 2D models or if I am going to use 3D models.

For the DVD cover the setting will be in a mountainous area with a clear blue sky.
I have gone for this idea because a clear sky shows great weather for flying and tend to be some of the only background objects in high altitudes in that setting showing how high up everything is.

The dragon is going to be based around a real life lizard as they have similar qualities to dragons in animated movies.