For a recent commission, I found myself with a background problem to solve: how to render a psychedelic background in a couple of hours.
After various experiments with fractal vector failed to get the desired results, I gave up and began to search the web for some old-skool hippy patterns and/or trippy posters etc. until I came upon one packed with all manner of day-glo, spiral eye-candy. As anyone will tell you, I cannot stand this sort of thing so after an hour, I decided to turn the background into vectors with Live Trace and, as an afterthought, de-grouped the lot and applied a gradient. I then expanded the gradients again into steps.
Although it’s still not what the client wants, I found the random architectural shapes quite astonishing.
I don’t normally put up non-graphic film clips up on here but I was so impressed by this trailer for the new Terminator movie that I almost came on myself. This is the pinnacle of realistic CGI that was ushered in with Transformers but here splattered with grime and carrying real weight for a change. I cannot wait to see this…
After a collaborative chin-wag, we design and install a number of 2D/3D ‘floating’ decals. We are using the basic ‘drop shadow’ technique but in real-time. By cutting round and removing the head /body from the card, we are left with a template stencil to lay down the ‘shadow’ in grey spray paint. Once dry, we then lay the head/body down over it, ensuring the shadow matches the lghting on the picture which should not cover the shadow entirely (see pic). They do look freaky, especially when placed in areas with limited spatial range.
