Design Practise: OUGD505 - Design Production 2: Studio Brief 3

I went onto Illustrator with the sketches that I had and started designing.

Cactus
I began with the cactus, and started drawing the shape that I had done.

Then I started to add some lines to it as cactus's have a lined pattern going down them. I used the width tool to make them thick and thin to add a bit more interest.

I then fit it into the two square space it needed to fill. I had to stretch it out a bit. I also chose a second colour, but I might change this.

Here I changed the colour and made it longer.

Signage

For the next image I created a signpost stating directions for Mexico and the USA as this is the border in the film.

Gun

Guns and violence are a big part of the film so I wanted to incorporate this. I made a basic shape of a gun.

Then I added a trigger.

I tried adding a couple more points of interest that I saw on photographs of guns, but it didn't look very clean.

I added some pattern on the gun because on photos I noticed that real guns have a plastic lined pattern in this area.

I added a little rectangle at the top of the gun which I liked.

I took the lines away as I didn't feel they helped contribute to the design.

Typography

There are two rows left in the grid after the images have been filled up where typography would go. I thought about having the tagline here.

I thought about having it on two lines so there is a bit more white space around it.

Baby

A baby is a big part of the plot throughout the movie because one gets stolen from one of the immigrants and sold on the black market.

This is the only illustration so far that I don't really like.

Here is how it is looking so far with the grid.

Glasses

I then started doing the aviator glasses. These are an iconic part of the film and Jack Nicholson is always wearing them.

I made a circle shape.

And I pulled the right anchor point out to create the aviator shape.

I then added to more elements to the glasses.

I wanted to make the bridge and bar wonky to match the stylised style I was working to.

I added the hinge and earpiece of the glasses to them.

This is how it looked with the other illustrations.

These were okay, but I still wasn't happy with them.

I didn't feel that these were stylised enough though, so I went back to change some things.

I moved the earpiece which I think looks better, less cluttered.

I tried it with new earpieces but I didn't like them.

Here is is with the other illustrations, which I think looks better.

Wire Border

These are a big part of the film regarding the border and the area where immigrants are kept at the patrol office.

I made a zig zag line but changed the points to smooth to get the same shape.

I created this pattern and I used the width tool to make them all a bit different.

I altered this on some areas so that every overlapping wire had a gap.

Badge

Border patrol officers were a badge as part of their uniform, so I decided to use that symbol. I wanted it to be stylised with more abstract features to suit the rest of the style.

I tried a few different shapes at first.

Too top heavy.

Too straiht in the middle, not enough contrast between thick and thin.

Too angular in the middle.

Not enough prominence were the curve and bottom half meet.

Too thin.

Juuust right.

I tilted it on its side, and this is the final square.

It's starting to take shape more now, and I've placed yellow boxes were the BBQ and lorry will go, and left white spaces for the car, money and title square. I want each square not to touch another colour that is the same, apart from the middle title.

Lorry

I then started doing the lorry. There are two different lorries it could be, the one near the end of the film where all the immigrants are taken in to the USA, and the smaller truck that carries the immigrants to the patrol office.

As it is over three squares, I wanted the front of the lorry to be in one, and the back in two.

I did the basic shape of the lorry using mis-shaped rectangles.

I had a look to see how it fit down the side.

I wanted to add some more detail to it.

I added a door handle, and a window with bars on it, which features in the film.

I also added a light for the front of the vehicle.

I made this more prominent.

As it is also on chases to get the immigrants I decided to add some rectangles to portray motion next to the wheels.

I then decided to add a mirror, as this is quite a prominent feature on the cars.

Money

Money is a big theme in the movie, with his wife buying expensive things, and Charlie becomes corrupt in order to earn more money.

I started by drawing a note, and as it is American I made a dollar sign. Rather than use an existing font I decided to just draw my own so it is more of an image.

I changed the colour of the slash to make it more prominent.

I'll have two notes in the window - it is the right amount for how big it will be.

I started playing around with the widths.

This is how it will look in comparison to the rest of the poster. I want the dollar signs to stand out more.

I drew a couple more dollars.

I made the slash again, but to weave in and out of the dollar.

I prefer this one, as it is a a lot wider so stands out more.

Here is the final box.

Car

Charlie and his wife have a car, one of the materialistic things they own. This relates to affluent lifestyle they have, but with an 80s feel.

I just copied one of my drawings and was happy with the shape.

I looked at it within the poster, and I think it goes well at an angle.

I made the back window lower so it was a bit more mismatched.

I didn't like the wheels outside of the car, so I created two white wheels to act as the arch. I changed the shape a bit so it wasn't completely circular.

I did this for both wheels and I think it looks better now.

I also added an exhaust pipe at the back.

BBQ

I started making a shape for the BBQ based on my sketches.

I added a drop shadow in the blue to get a feeling of more 3D.

I made this bigger, and then began drawing the metal bars that go across.

I drew some more, and I thought it needed something else to look more like a BBQ.

I had a look at in the whole poster and I thought it was working.

I decided to add two skewers of BBQ food so you can easily tell what it is.

I made the skewers bigger because it is only going to be small once printed.

I had a look at this revised design in the full poster and I think that works better.

I kept playing with the skewers.

This is the final design.

The Border

I wanted to make the title in the style of 80s American signage and I just looked at what I had drawn.

I added a little rectangle at the top for 'The' and some stands for the sign. I actually quite like them in front.

But I put them behind the sign. I had used the Width tool to alter them.

This is what it looks like in the whole poster, but I think there is too much white.

I changed it to the blue background and I think this looks a lot more balanced, and stands out more.

I love this font, Horsehoes and Lemonade, but I don't actually have the license so I need to find/make one similar.

All the illustrations are finished, and I just need to add/alter type now. I am very happy with the outcome so far.

Here are my layers, I have been making sure that I am organised with them so I can easily find everything.

I started adding the text underneath. I wanted to include the tagline, and I tried what it looked like on two lines first, quite small.

I felt like it needed to be bigger than that, so I put it on one line and within three columns.

I like this a lot better.

I then tried adding the cast in the last row, but it looks a bit chaotic at the minute.

I made the bottom row blue to create a bit of contrast and make it appear fuller. There was too much white space before.

I made the tagline bigger which I think works better as the blue rectangle at the bottom was drowning it out a bit.

I added some more of the cast to fill up more space, and made them smaller as they were less significant.

I then made the tagline yellow, so that all of the colours in the poster have been featured in the bottom bit.

I also centralised the text at the bottom more. I definitely think the poster is getting there now. Now I need to add the textures!

I changed the font to Cartoonsix which has a free license.

And for the title I decided to just make my own as I couldn't find one to fit my style. I just used the pen tool and width tool to create this really quickly.