Fervor w/ basic process

[Lyrics]

So, this was a piece for a friend, just promo material. I did it almost a year ago, so yes this is republished...

My process works quite irrationally, i go from one version to the next based on feeling and flow. If i'm given a very specific outline for graphics i tend to get cramped up and very unproductive. So, in this example i started with some geometric shapes for logo ideas, which made me think of a character, which led to a poster of 'sorts' (no 300ppi version).




Right away, to character/poster design... I'm not big on organic drawing so i played home court, abstraction.




Like i said i'm not good with having a plan before the design, i have an organic process. But i did know for certain what mood i wanted. Something epic, with effectively flow and movement.

Playing with the environment some more




At this point i knew i had it going right, which was relieving (if you know what i mean, ever spent a long time on something only to toss it? ya)


incremental details...


what?!


My final version seems to have my usual incremental saves missing, so there's a big jump. Basically i played with colors and realized that a gray scale made for a very powerful feeling, whereas the color prior was "childish". Smoke took a long time (to make it "hi res" via very detailed texturing). I used a white canvas with a layer mask and a custom brush to carve all the smoke. It was labour-intense but worth it. I also did a version of this with "move credits" at the bottom which had its charm, but alas was cut from the team.

A year later the piece is OK but i find it quite flat. I think the smoke gets too lazy towards the side and just the general dynamism of the piece is moot. Anyways, let me know what you think, especially the bad and the ugly. If it's not already obvious i used PScs2 to make this, and I believe the big text is a font of 04b or something like that... it's a daFont pixel font.

Cheers

[Toon]

It's interesting

[Laura Lynne]

I love the ghost like triangle type guy

[Lyrics]

Thanks guys. One of my mental inspirations was an Arch Angel in vain of Diablo II (Tyreal). Wings were the main result of such thinking. The head and it's proportions were was designed to bestow scale and emphasize predatory aesthetics (i.e. eyes at front-center, angular edges,sharp). I can totally see how"ghost-like" would be seen here, especially with the glow?

As an abstract piece it's interesting to see reactions because they're quite varied. "interesting" is one I've gotten before.. ha

[El Peligroso]

The third bottom one, with the effect coming off it's head gets my vote.
Very good

[brokendalek]

I really like the bottom one, very indeed!

[tepe]

i also prefer the bottom one, very nice!

[Lyrics]

Thanks guys. El Peligroso, the particle effect used on the head was a very... well it was a hard choice. Maybe i should continue a version using this head.

I felt the particles gave this kind of "embers-from-a-fire" feeling.

[Mack]

i liked looking at the progression. Im not sure what it is for though?

[Lyrics]

Mack, I would put out that it's an abstraction of an arch angel, a knight maybe, or some kind of...ancient...thing..alien...with wings..ya

Laura sees it as ghost-like which is just as fine.

In terms of purpose, it's a piece of promotional work for a gaming guild. It doesn't fit any standard desktop resolution, or web banners, and there aren't any 300DPI version to print even modestly large. Not very useful.