Photoshop Workshop Brief - 10 Postcards - 'Happy Skies, Happy Seas'

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The brief (shown above) was to produce a set of 10 postcards that explore your chosen colour. I decided to go with the colour blue. the next part says basing the postcards on the photographs you used in the colour theory session. Since i wansn't happy with the photo's i took in the colour theory, and already had chosen a different colour, i decided to use the same concept of looking into contrasting colours and the different elements of colour theory but to use pictures i already had in files on my computer.

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Below are some of my design sheets. I wanted to get my initial ideas down to see where i could taken them digitally.

My original idea was to make the image span across all postcards, then have the poems overlapping the image but couldn't see it translating when i attempted to do it digitally.

I had a few other ideas but decided on this final outcome...

Since i choses the colour blue, i decided to base my postcards on the sea and the sky, linking the two together as being quite beautiful things. When the sky is blue and so its the sea, it's a great thing!

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To link these together and make them into something that would be eligible for a postcard, i decided to start with some poems that i like relating to these two. I will then look for more online until i find 10 that i think are good enough to go on the postcards. I was thinking that i will make patterns from the photographs on the front of the postcard and have the different poems on the back. simple / simple.

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So i started grouping together some images of skies and seas that i had...

I will be using a different image for every postcard. My initial idea was to cut segments from the photos and pattern them together to make contrasting colours with the blues. I started with some experiments...

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~ Postcard One ~

~ Your ~ Minds ~ Ocean ~

Using the swimming pool photo, i cropped triangle shapes from it. Looks kind of abstract...

I created this pattern from layering the triangle segments...

Then made this really nice marbled water effect from patterning the images up. I really like this and think it will look sweet as the front of the postcard...

I added my type, which is the title of the first poem i will be using, 'Your Minds Ocean'.

For the back i kept it simple. I added the poem central on a white background using the same font as the front. I also added the two ' ~ tilde ' at the top and bottom to make it match up nicely with the front.

I think i will continue this theme throughout the postcards, to see where i can take it.

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~ Postcard Two ~

~ Swimming ~ Is ~ Fun ~

Basically using the same technique, i created patterns from my blue sea photographs.

I added the type but felt that this one didn't work as well as the other just because of the tone of blue used.

I had an idea of adding a gradient throughout the postcards which would keep them all to the same exact colour scheme but be using the different patterns. I actually thought that this idea might work in my favour of making the postcards look more like a set.

I really like the result of these. They are the same gradient of blue and off-white reversed of make these two different effects. I also made the back of these using the next poem 'Swimming Is Fun' in the smae style. I think by using this i could make a really nice set of patterns and postcards...

I also changed the original to match the gradient too, and again really like the result of this one. It creates a nice marbled effect.

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~ Postcard Three ~

~ Smile ~ At The ~ Sun ~

Moving onto the sky now, and creating some nice patterns from the image of clouds that i took.

Layering up these triangles again to make this pattern. I think the result of this one is interesting, the pattern seems to form a sequence of clouds that are mis-shapes.

I added the type again to match the theme of the postcards and the title of the poem, 'Smile At The Sky'.

Again, i added the poem to the back of the card. I particularly like this poem. It's pretty weird, but nice.

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~ Postcard Four ~

~ Mr. ~ Blue ~ Sky ~

I started with another couple of images i had taken, layering them up with the same pattern.

One of the images looked pretty much like a block colout because the sky is so clear, and i didn't think this looked quite right.

I layered a more cloudy image into the pattern which seemed to work better.

When the gradient was added, this seemed to work okay, creating another crazy marbled pattern.

I added the type, this time for the song ' Mr Blue Sky' by The Electric Light Orchestra. Such a good song! Cheer your self up by listening to it below!