When the idea for creating the cover for COLLIDE was first discussed, the immediate thought for both Scott and I was to develop a trophy to go along with the “awards” aspect of the cover title: The Reader’s Choice Awards. I kept thinking about placing the trophy in an environment that made it feel much bigger than it really was. That’s where I decided to roll with the not-so-red carpet runway idea. I toyed with the idea of a photoshop collage but really wanted to have a polished illustration that allowed the viewer to focus on the trophy. In order to pull of the concept of an awards trophy, I combined the use of Illustrator, Photoshop and Cinema 4D to try to create something fresh.
My goal for this article is to not be a how-to or a tutorial, but to offer insight as to why each software was used and explain the important role it played. First, let me give a brief explanation of each:
In short, Adobe Illustrator (Ai) is used for creating graphics from nothing. You can start from scratch and finish without needing additional software. Logos, illustrations, patterns, and very intricate designs can be created using Illustrator. The application is full of tools for drawing that are not offered by other programs.
Photoshop, on the other hand, is primarily a manipulating software - although it is such a great program that it is impossible to limit it to just that. Generally, you would start with an element in Photoshop and continue to build your graphic artwork. This element could be created by your digital camera, a vector program like Illustrator, maybe a 3D render or a scanned object. For example, in Photoshop you might start with a photo and cut out an element of that photo to begin working with in your composition. You may start with a logo that was created in Illustrator and will be adding textures and effects to that logo inside of Photoshop. You’ll probably find yourself combining a lot of different elements but not necessarily developing intricate designs or graphic elements from scratch. Can you create something from nothing in Photoshop? Of course. There are no rules in creating art. That’s the first rule! ;-)
Cinema 4D is a 3D software program that rules the universe! Or maybe just the galaxy. Either way, the software allows you to create 3D imagery using vector images from Illustrator along with raster images from Photoshop or by simply creating from scratch within the program. You can animate for video or use it for print work. Personally, I have found that Cinema 4D tends to be the friendliest for motion graphics and graphic artwork. It is used for motion pictures as well but I cannot battle the arguments of how it competes against Maya or 3D Studio Max when it steps into that arena.
A lot of the 3D modeling for this artwork was created using Illustrator vector lines. I drew some complex vectors that would’ve been more difficult to pull off in C4D (Not impossible, just not as fast as I can using Illustrator.) See the images below to view the vector lines created in Ai. I applied Lather nurbs to the object in C4D to create a 3D model from my Ai. file.
In just a few minutes, I already have a 3 model that is starting to take shape!
Another vector created in Ai. and extruded in C4D to create the framing for the tweeters.
Below are examples of vectors I created in Illustrator and then merged into C4D. I knew the trophy was going to be the main focus of this artwork and I really wanted to keep it clean rather than busy-it-up. I began creating some 3D rectangles and experimenting with them in C4D but then finally decided I did not want depth on the rectangles. Once I figured out I wanted a minimal but digital type pattern, it was much easier for me to create and align that many squares and rectangles using Illustrator.
One of the beauties of working on a Mac using C4D: I took a photo of the haggard carpet in my office with my iPhone (because I was too lazy to get up and grab RT Production’s 16mb Nikon camera) and emailed the photo to myself at my Igniter account and, voila! Applied the image as a texture with a bump map to my “red carpet” runway and stairs.
I textured everything fairly monotone in C4D because after experimenting with it in color for way too long I felt that it looked too much like a clip out of a 3D movie. I wanted a bit more style to it. By keeping it desaturated, I could do all sorts of re-coloring and tinting to it in Photoshop for the final touches.
Cinema 4D allowed me to render the artwork with alpha channels applied to certain objects so that I wouldn’t have to go in and trace/delete the background or other areas.
Let the coloring begin!
Here is colorized version before adding the COLLIDE masthead.
After consulting with my friend, Brad Wolf. I decided to “pop” the contrast some more and add some celebratory confetti streamers. Ryan Jarrell, the COLLIDE designer, laid out the rest of the text on the cover.
The world of 3D is so new to me that everything I do with it is exciting these days. Each project is an experiment it seems. I was really stoked to be able to combine my knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, and C4D to create this cover art. Being able to incorporate the 3D aspect of things really allowed me to bring the trophy to life.
I’m not sure that it could’ve been done using just 1 of these programs. Either way, I pushed myself to try something new and am pleased with the results. I think the COLLIDE staff likes it too!
For more information on Barton Damer and to see more of his work and inspiration, visit www.alreadybeenchewed.net.