Experimental Illustration WIP

[Gamerprinter]

Having just purchased Digital Horror Art (book), I got inspired by my own Superstition Valley... I wanted to play with the idea of gothic horror old west setting, so I decided to create an illustration (cover design?) for an RPG idea.

I used a couple of my map objects as Illustration objects (since these have a more 2D look compared to the mountain modules.)

If you look at the names of the features on the Superstition Valley map - Dos Diablos (Two Devils), Sangra Madre (Blood Mother), Superstition Valley - all rather darkly suggestive. This was my intent.

Anyway, rough draft, in this illustration WIP.

(Arcana has a 3D art, not map thread... this is mine)

[Valarian]

There's already Deadlands in this cross-genre, using the Savage Worlds rules. I don't think it goes for the Gothic style though ... more wierdness and possibly Cthulhu-esque.

The cover illustration looks great, very evocative ... is that Cochise in the background?

[ravells]

Very nice - I love that spooky washed out colour scheme!

I think you can work on the composition a little more (although I'm no expert at this). There is no focus of interest - all the major elements compete with each other. The Indian, human skull, cactus and cow skull each occupy a corner which doesn't help.

I've done a little thumbnail which addresses some (but not all) of the compositional points.

I've decided that the focus of interest is going to be the two mountains marking the start of the valley in the middle distance. I've placed the valley in the 'golden triangle' , ie the top third of the page and made it smaller. To lead the eye to it, there is a road, with a repeated cactus element. I would also give it a subtle colour (red?) so it stands out. As objects in the distance are more washed out anyway, I'd make the background sky and skull a lot fainter and subtler. I'd work on making the perspective of the sky/clouds match that of the land - easily done by using Bryce.

It's a good idea just to play with little sketch thumbnails like this to bottom out your composition. Do a google on the web on composition you'll find tonnes of stuff.

Great Graphic Design tip I read:

Contrast
Repetition
Alignment
Proximity

As you can see, easy to remember from the first letters!

Great Stuff, though!

Ravs

[Gamerprinter]

Yeah, I was thinking of pulling the cowskull out, then use both the human skull and the Apache warrior on opposite corners. This also gets me to thinking how I should make a "cover design" for the mountain modules product. Perhaps this will become a module cover, rather than an Old West RPG cover design.

No that is not Cochise - this is from a collection of old west photos taken in 1915. I thought the very plain "Apache" look was very impressive - rather than the usual Souix Feather headress seem to be worn by every photographed native american.

Again, I was just playing around.

[Gamerprinter]

Inspired by my own last illustration, I've been thinking, I need to create a "package" to sell the mountain modules for the Christmas season from my website.

So here's my first attempt at packaging design for the mountain modules - you'll notice that faded sky is an actual photograph and its more clear in this image.

What should the map objects cost? I've been thinking $7 for the set, including my add-on themes: old west, meso-american, desert fantasy, and science fiction.

Thoughts?

WIP so far...

[ravells]

That looks so much better!

In terms of cost, I have no idea, but $7 sounds very reasonable to me.

Ravs

[RPMiller]

In the first post, if you put the human skull inside the indian face, you'll have a nice effect with the result being less busy and cluttered as well as a connection at many levels.

I agree the cow skull needs to go though.

[Gamerprinter]

In the first post, if you put the human skull inside the indian face, you'll have a nice effect with the result being less busy and cluttered as well as a connection at many levels.

I agree the cow skull needs to go though.

You're right, so how's this?

WIP so far...

I'm thinking about cropping closer to the Apache's head, to make the skull face larger in the sky... just a thought.

[RPMiller]

Yes, make the head larger, also make the skull more subtle so that the viewer just gets the hint of the skull being there and has to look closer. Now that is Gothic Horror.

[Gamerprinter]

I preferred the background of the "Mountain Modules" graphic, moreso than that on the cover art design. So I combined the two for an improved cover design. Oh and bigger head too!

And as always, this composition was completely created using Xara Xtreme.

WIP so far...