Final Process Creating ‘The Charybdis’
The initial process was about separating each of my components for the image in photoshop. I used the colour range selection tool to pick out the black line and create this as a new layer. The next stage was all about adding the texture, which i was easily able to layer behind my black line. The very first texture i added to the image was for my Kraken inspired interpretation of the Charybdis. Using the rubber tool was an easy way to create a textured body for my creature. Grouping the two layers together allowed me to move them around separately. - I created this separate layer for the creature so i can manipulate the texture to be different from the background.
The process of layering texture did become quite a time consuming process particularly for this piece, and was very much about me experimenting to see what worked and what didn’t. however, a lot of this couldn't be planned, it worked better to see how things progressed during this final production. Comparing this method to lino cutting though it is very quick! so approaching my finals though this method of image making at this stage was definitely a more efficient use of my time. Creating my interpretation of the Charybdis was my first final piece and the one that i probably wrestled with the most. I selected a Mono printed background that i had previously created during 504; i chose this because of the interesting effect of water created and the perfect sea blue colour. I then cut around the layer of blue to fit within the lines and shapes of my black wave outlines. (right) - choosing the background sky. - I wanted to keep the texture of a similar gradient reasonably light and simple but with some interesting movement //changes in light.
Adding colour to the background. Colour palette, admittedly is something that i have not experimented with too much before the final production of my prints, however i have been heavily influenced by artists research, and i knew that i wanted to keep a simple quite muted colour palette. - i found that this burnt orange/yellow tone really complimented the blue perfectly, and this would be a colour that i hope to continue through into my other two designs. -
At this stage i am fairly pleased with how the image is coming together, but there are still a lot of aspects which do not work for me. the main one being that there are too many lines. The image feels too busy! the contrast of the sea lines and the detail on the charybdis is clashing too much. My idea was to break up the image by putting some space between the two sections. - using the rubber tool worked for this. I wanted the monster to stand out and be the main focus but at the moment it was easily lost in the background.
I felt that in order for the monster to stand out, the sea perhaps needed to be darker also. this created more of a contrast and worked better i think! However i realised i needed to play around a lot with different tones, and i still felt that the lines clashed too much.
I wanted my image to be bolder, and more striking! After still struggling with the balance of the image, i looked back over my work from 504 to see what made those prints so successful. - I am using the prints from 504 as influence over the visual aesthetic of my final work for this project, so it makes sense to refer back to them again! - discovered that my underwater design for 504 has quite a large spacing between sections, which creates a striking image, so i aimed to re create the same sort of effect! - I am becoming more pleased with the design at the stage - the spacing has really helped to break up the image. - Additionally, overlaying a lighter blue makes more sense within the image - it shows that the monster is still underwater
I found the image to be quite flat, but in using the wacom tablet to add more detail digitally, i was able to really enhance the design - breaking up the sea into different tones works effectively to add movement, as well as helping to blend the harsher contrasts. - I added highlights of white detail create additional depth. Which brings out certain areas that were perhaps lost in the background. - i created my ship in a separate layer - and once edited with texture, i merged the two images together. - This was quite simple, since i had used the light box i knew that they would line up easily. - i used the rubber tool to make amusements - for example rubbing out the monsters arm so it looks as though it is wrapping around the ship.
Overall, I am actually really pleased with my first final piece. After initially wrestling a lot with the process and trying to achieve the right balance of tone, line and texture within the image, i eventually got to a place where i think the combination of all three work really well to create a striking image, that captures my interpretation of the story as effectively as i hoped it would. Although I have missed the process of creating lino cut and mono print by hand, i have found there have been many advantages to working digitally. One being the speedy process, and two, being able to correct mistakes, and play around with tweaking aspects of the image, as well as adding additional details. - Details of tone that i think perhaps lacked in my images for 504.