Competition Entries

Sparkzlite Competition:
The first competition I have entered is one on YouTube where I had to create a design using the competition holders logo. So in my design I wanted to go for something that stood out and was relevant to the name "sparkz" so I decided to do something that had sparks within it. So I researched and looked into things that sparked. So I came up with a few things that did e.g. space, stars, eyes etc. I then went on to the internet to find images that I could use from my ideas generation. Once I had found a few good image high resolutions images I started to experiment with them playing with the layout, changing colours etc. until I came up with something I liked. This is shown in the video below.

Experimentation and Design Phase:


Final Image:

Overall I am very pleased with how my design turned, I believe the  gradient of colours has blended well and I've kept to the initial research I did at the beginning, which was to create something that sparkled. I like the way I've got everything to blend well and look smooth creating this sense of surrealism within the piece combining my eye and solar flared earth picture into one. I'm also very pleased with the way I've managed to blend the main object in with the background with the used gradient colours. The only thing I'm not too happy about in this piece is the logo I had put in to it, I don't think it's highlighted enough in the image, but I'm pleased with how the logo has also blended with the backing image and the way it very much looks like an Illuminati picture.

CenzGFx Competition:
The second design competition I entered was another one on YouTube one, where I had to create a YouTube background the person hosting the design competition. To start this design I did a a bit of research in to the designers YouTube page checking out his art style and the sort of things that he liked within a background looking at old designs and videos of his. I noticed that he liked grungey designs that were well constructed. I then went on to the internet find some grunge textures that I could use within the background design. I put them into Photoshop and experimented with different ones adding blurs and changing layer types to see what worked best. I knew that he liked professional looking borders so I used a technique that I had previously used before to do the borders of the background. I also experimented with different text layer styles to use as the title for his background and managed to come up with a new style red metallic looking text that I had then duplicated several times to give a 3D effect. This is all shown in the video below.

Experimentation and Design Phase:


Final Image:

I'm very pleased with how this design went, I believe the borders are well constructed and look very nice in the picture, in the way that they go with the background and also giving this modern feel to them with the gradient use in the actual modules. Another thing I'm happy about in this piece is the way I got the background of the image to fade in to the blackness at the bottom of the image so that the design looks clean when putting onto YouTube. The thing I most proud about in this is the title at the top, I think the texture I've created goes well with the grungey modern feel to the rest of the image as it looks quite metallic, the redness and 3D aspect to it just heightens the appeal of it and makes it stand out. One thing I dislike about the image is the top of the border where the cut outs are at the top, it's not as equal as I would of liked it to be. But in all in all I'm happy with my design and in the future make sure that I use the ruler to level verything out.

AvatarGFX Competition:
This is my 3rd competition entry I have done, there was no competition rules in this competition you could do anything you wanted as long as you made a speed art. In this competition I started out by researching the YouTube channel of the host to see what he liked to do the most in his designs, I found out the he mainly did composite image photo manipulations. So I decided to go with doing that. I wanted to come up with something outside of the box, something that I had never seen before. So I went on to the internet to look at photo manipulations, I came across ones mainly of the city and landscapes, so I brainstormed on this and came to the conclusion that I could bring these two types of manipulation together in one. I then searched the for cityscapes and landscapes, when I came across one of New York and many mountainous ones. I couldn't think of anyway to make this work until I came across the song "DJ Sammy - Castles In The Sky" which gave me the idea of this city in the sky. So I created a cloud texture and started to cut out my images and experimenting with ways to blend them.


Experimentation and Design Phase:


Final Image:

I'm pleased with the outcome of this piece as it was something I had never tried before and everything looks to a quality standard. I like the way I've managed to bring the city image and mountain together to create this this floating city effect which gives the image surrealism. I also like the way the text has planned out and blends with the clouded background. Although I'm very pleased with the design there is some things I would like to improve e.g. the clouds and grass surrounding the image could of been done a bit better, maybe by experimenting with them in different places or reducing the amount of clouds surrounding it. All in all I am still very pleased with the outcome.

Worth1000 Competition:
In the 4th competition I done I had to use the source image of a snowman and I was able to manipulate it in anyway I wanted to. So I went on the internet to look at other snowman pictures and noticed they all had one thing in common the snowman contrasted with the background of snow, I though long and hard about how I could do something different and I came up with the idea of trying to camouflage the snowman. So I went to the internet and researched into camouflage and noticed that it was mainly army clothing texture and forests. I then came up with the idea of blending a snowman in with the forest. But this wasn't going to be appealing enough just a snowman blended in with the background so I experimented with lighting and colour techniques I had used before to create a more atmospheric piece.

Camouflage web search.

Experimentation and Design Phase:


Final Image:

I love the outcome I have produced here because everything is  smooth and looks in place. I like the way I have managed to get the lighting within the image to highlight the main object of the piece which is the camouflaged snowman. Another thing I love about this design of mine is the way I've managed to use a cut out of the background image and change the colours of the snowman to create this camouflaged effect of the snowman changing his texture to a forest. I also like the way I've managed to use the transform tools to make it look as though the snowman is standing on the rock in the background image. I don't really have any faults about this piece apart from it could maybe doing with something else added to the scene to create more atmosphere, but I do love the final outcome.

Artists Research

Picture 1 Analysis:
The picture is by Manu Pombrol, this picture immediately catches your eye and attention as its so surreal and shocking doing nothing but making your stare at its uniqueness. The artist has got a and picture of a man and a zip and manipulated the zip into his head making it look as though it should be there, he’s then took another photo of the man and made it look as though he’s coming out of his head through the zip adding a bit of humour into the art. He has also shaded one half of the head and added exposure to other, emphasising the man coming out of the zip on his head. The artist has also used a grey/white background which is a neutral colour that turns the attention the head. The man is also quite bald which helps the photo attract attention in a humorous way. Also the facial expressions of the man looking upwards and the mini man coming out of the zip is also quite humorous as the man is looking up as if to say ‘what the hell’ and the mini man coming out of the head is just like ‘hello nothing unusual going on here’. Pombrol has also used quite an attractive man in his photo which helps the picture really capture the humour it’s trying to display. Besides the humour within the picture it could also be telling you ‘just be yourself’ as Pombrol has used the same guy inside of the zip as well as outside of it. Also the photography used to get the original stock images before the mainpulation is just right, because if the original images wasn't as good as you can within the maipulation this would of been a very hard design to pull of a lot of great photography skill has gone into this images to complete it. All in all this picture is well put together with no signs of error within the image. All the shadows, highlights, images and colour all come together to bring out the greatness within this piece of art.

Picture 2 Analysis:

This picture is made Ross Brown and comes across as quite humorous when you first see it as the surrealism of a rugby player and deer in a scrum is quite funny. This picture also portrays strength of a rugby player as it looks as though the rugby player giving the deer a good fight in the scrum. This picture really captures your eye as the artist used quite de-saturated colours on everything but the rugby player where he has used quite vibrant colours, making the viewer turn their attention toward the rugby player emphasising his strength. The artist has also made the ground lighter where the main element of the photo is and made the ground darker away the element, drawing more attention to the main element of the photo; the deer and the rugby player. The artist also used a deer’s habitat as the background creating a sense of surrealism within the photo as the rugby player shouldn’t be there.

Picture 3 Analysis:

This picture was designed by Marian Rupp. Marian has used a lot of depth within her background using dark colours, which make the main concept of the image stand out by using lighter, brighter and more vibrant colours on it which gives a sort of abstract feel to the picture. She has also made the stars have a nice outer glow that blends nicely in with the background; she’s also used a red streak glow behind the animals that are flying around the plant to emphasise how fast and where they are going, it also adds a nice feel to the image as well. She made the plant island look as though it floating on water which makes the image unique. The use of images within the picture like the baby and the swan heads really bring the image together and make the image unusual in a good way. Also the plant has been well manipulated and looks as though it’s a real plant.

Picture 4 Analysis:

This picture was created by Laura Ferreira. This picture is very unique and something you did everyday, the artist used the hair of the woman to merge it into lots of birds flying off to maybe give a meaning to the picture like freedom. Ferreira has also used a dark green for the edges that fades into white in middle of the picture, the white contrsts with the dress of the woman and allows the viewer to see the birds more clearly. The artist has also used dull colours within the picture to draw attention to the main concept of the woman, the artist has used alot of bright lighting on woman’s face and body and has made the hair more darker with shadows, the has probably done this to maybe portray something like light and dark or good and evil.