Author: samuelgreenillustration

Plan: below is a plan of what I wanted in the posters including what images, textures, overlays and information. The format I wanted for the poster was A4 but could be scaled up to A3 or A2. I chose this format as it’s a standard paper size so would be easy and cost effective to print. The poster were all made digitally but for the event I’d want some physically printed to go around Camden and the venue. To maximise the posters use I’d also share them on social media, particularly Instagram. Sharing them across multiple avenues of communication also helps increase engagement and awareness of the event.

Final posters: these are the 8 final poster designs. I created them with different intentions but they all maintain the same visual language in order to keep the identity of the event consistent.

Ripped scan posters: the first 4 posters are all based around the ripped paper. This is an aesthetic I have been developing and really like how it highlights the nails, making them the centre of attention in the composition. The idea was inspired by vintage rock band posters and some of the more experimental nail polish advertising I saw on Pinterest. The intention for these posters are to be printed and put around Camden before the event but would also be shared on social media and the website.

The first 3 are variations of the same design, they just have the colour focused in different places. I think having different variations of the poster around Camden would be fun as people could try to find all the different ones. These posters have a dark, moody aesthetic heavily inspired by the Hotel Diablo aesthetic. The ripped paper allows for the nails to stand out, making sure the UN DN element of the event is not missed. The logo is visible in the bottom right. Some notable parts of the design is the track list written in my hand made typography running through the ripped paper. This is not too distracting but is a nice detail that fans of the album would be able to pick up on. Also the Hotel Diablo symbol is subtlety placed under the rip. The idea behind this is the paper is ripped to reveal the album and people’s expression and creatively through their nail design. Also the title of the event ‘Welcome back to Hotel Diablo’ is written in my typography and placed in the top right corner. The event details are written in an Adobe font called Burnaby that has a similar textured style to the rest of the poster.

This poster had very similar ideas to the first 3 but use one of the scans with a rose. I wanted to bring the floral element into the posters. This poster has both the logos clearly on display in opposite corners. I removed the track list so this poster is less heavy on the Hotel Diablo side and more related to the overall aesthetic on the event.

Photographic posters: these 2 posters were made with photos I took in the studio rather than scans. They have a clearer aesthetic than the ripped paper ones so are more aimed towards the UN DN side of the event. The intention for these ones is that they’re used primarily on social media rather than printed. The key part of these is the striking pinks and purples. The colours are so bold that they would really stand out online compared to other advertising in this field.

The idea behind the first poster was the have a male and female hand interlocking to represent the unisex nature in UN DN. The pink hand really catches your eye in comparison to the rest of the greyscale image. I wanted to draw the viewers attention this way then get them to look at the subtle details on the hand. I put my sketches over the hands almost like tattoos. This is also where the Hotel Diablo logo is on this poster, because I wanted it to be subtle and thought this was a unique way to display it.

This is a different take on the ripped idea. Rather than ripped paper it’s more of a digital glitch style with the normal coloured fingers showing past the glitchy pink hands. This poster is all around very colourful as there are no bits in greyscale. I chose the place both the logos tighter in the top right corner to create a balance between the 2 sides of the event. In terms of added details this poster is the most simple. I made this decision as I feel the image and colours are so strong on their own, any other details would just be distracting.

Decorative posters: these posters are intended to be placed inside the venue. They’re solely decorative, just displaying the aesthetic and visual identity of the event. This means they don’t have the event details on them. They have both logos at the top clearly showing it’s a collaboration event. The first one has ‘come and find yourself’ written on it. This is the first lyric on Hotel Diablo so it’s a reference fans will understand. The second poster says ‘for the creative soul’, a slogan used by UN DN. For the visual style I went for lots of gritty textures and covered in my sketches. The style is inspired by the posters I made for ‘Bloody Valentine’ with this collage/scrapbook aesthetic.

Reflection: Overall I’m really pleased with the set of posters I’ve created. They are varied visually to align with the intention but all fit one solid visual identity. The typography, colours, logos are consistent throughout. Added details such a textures and sketches are used on some. I think these posters appeal to the audience well and really stand out in comparison to the other nail polish advertising that is currently being seen.

I took all the ideas and visual styles that I experimented with on the scans and applied them to my photographs. These include adding grunge and paper textures, adding the colour palette (mostly pink and purple), adding rips and overlaying the photos with sketches and jewellery textures. I plan for these to be used for some poster designs, make up some bits of the video and be included in the interactive design. As well as edited photos I made some animated GIF style sequences to be included in the video as they’re a fun dynamic way of using a static image. I want the visual identity to be clear and consistent across the static, sequential and interactive outcomes. Below are my edited photos from my session in the photography studio:

Reflection: With all of these edited photos and the edited scans I have a large collection of imagery to use. I have found the aesthetic that I want for my final pieces and have created a clear and unique visual identity. Now it’s time to start creating my poster designs, interactive piece and social media video.

Stop Motion studio: I also booked myself into the stop motion studio to get some other shots . Stop Motion is a technique I’ve been working with in Digital Arts 2 so I, familiar and comfortable with the equipment and the technical process. I wanted to explore taking photos here is because it’s easier finely adjust the lighting and get really clear close ups of the nail polish. Also I wanted to have some stop motion sequences in my video as this is a growing trend in advertising and is a]something that I haven’t seen used in the nail polish world.

Coloured background close ups: The colours in these shots are really powerful. I bought paper to match each colour in the Hotel Diablo palette and the results are really striking. When using Dragon Frame to shoot in the stop Motion studio there’s an easy way to set the focus on one area and have the rest unfocused. This allowed me to get these nice shots of the nail polish spilt out over the paper. It shows the lovely shiny, metallic texture and shine that it has.

I’m really happy with these short, looping stop motion sequences that I shot with Dragon Frame and edited on Procreate. I wanted a jumpy animation so I shot it at a low frame rate. This helps show that it is stop motion rather than a typical nail polish video that would be seen on social media. I like the coordination between the backgrounds, nails and bottles. They make for really eye catching sequences. The addition of my hand drawn sketches adds another layer to the composition and helps to tie the visual identity together.

Paint drips: this is one of my favourite sequences that I shot. To achieve the shot I painted nail polish onto a glass sheet that I positioned close up to the camera. The photo is a picture from ten process of me layering up the nail polish. I like the abstractness of the stop motion sequence as it promotes the product but in a unique way. You still get the textural quality of the nail polish without actually showing it in a bottle or of someone nail. It also clearly focuses on the colour palette that will be used at the event.

Art hand models: I painted the art hand models nails with the Hotel Diablo palette. This is an object familiar to most creative people so aligns with the creative identity that UN DN has. I wanted a smooth stop motion look for these so shot it at a higher frame rate and moved it in small increments. I think these sequences are fun and contrast the typical clean cut style of nail polish promotion. It’s a slightly different way of showing nail polish being used, it goes against the expected image of a person with painted nails.

Flower: flowers have become an important subject in my sketches and photography. This sequence is a reference back to the Metamorphosis collection made by UN DN. The video show the petals of the flower falling of and then coming back which loops in a continuous cycle . At the moment the sequence does really show the visual identity I’m aiming for so if I do use it in my final pieces I will need to do some editing.

Halftone Images: these are a series of close up images focusing on eyes and the female body . These are subject that I’ve been exploring in my other photography and sketches. I experimented with different halftone patterns, grains, textures, colours and blend modes to see what effects I got get. I’m really pleased with the results and think they have a nice vintage style that is similar to comic book and classic band posters.

Polaroids: I took some Polaroid pictures during my session in the studio and digitally edited some of my normal photos onto Polaroids. I really like the vintage aesthetic of Polaroids and is something that UN DN have explored abut so I wanted to develop that. Also one of the parts of the pop up event will be a photo wall where people can take pictures will Polaroids and stick theirs up.

I had an induction into the Photography Studios on Wednesday 6th March. We went through health and safety guidelines, rules for the studios and an overview of the essential equipment. Now that I’ve been inducted I can book out a session in one of the studios to take the photos and videos I need for the sequential and static elements of the briefs.

Formats: An important thing to consider before shooting these photos/ videos was what format I wanted the final outcomes to be. I want my sequential piece to be a video for Instagram. I will create my video in the dimensions of an Instagram reel so that it looks the best when posted. Also this format can nicely be posted onto YouTube shorts and TikTok but its style will be targeted to Instagram. The dimensions are listed below:

1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall

Aspect ratio 9:16

The poster will primarily be designed in A4, I may design some at bigger sizes such as A3 and A2. This is a standard paper size so would be ideal for printing in bulk and putting around Camden and the venue for physical promotion. I plan to make a variety of designs in both portrait and landscape. With these formats decided I will be able to better plan my photos to fit the required dimensions and orientations.

Planning: below is my planning of the visuals for the video and the photo shoot. Planning this in details before allows me to better utilise my limited time in the studio to get all the shots I wanted. The plan contains information about the videos format and audio. It also has ideas of what specific shots I wanted to achieve and a detailed equipment list. All the props and equipment was either mine or I bought specifically for the shoot. I did borrow a camera, tripod and a range of lighting options from the University.

Photos – photography studio:

Videos:

Reflection: I really enjoyed my session in the photography studio. I learnt a lot of technical things about how to properly operate the camera and lighting to achieve different shots. I have lots of photos and videos that I can work from. I will use some of the photos for the photos and a combination of both for the video and interactive design. I’ve got a nice mix of portrait and landscape shots. I’ve also got a range of normal shots as some detailed close ups. With the accessories, colours and props I’m already starting to see the visual identity coming through. However, my issue with the raw shots is that they are still too similar to what is being posted on social media. Some of the photos as they are seem too predictable and played out so the way I edit the photos will be really important in making my work unique and recognisable.

I was really happy with the results of my scanning experimentation. I like the dark, grainy aesthetic that it produces while still showing the shiny, metallic texture of the nail polish. The scans already dramatically differ from the normal promotional images seen on social media. But I still wanted to more of a distinct visual identity by bringing in the colour palette, sketches and typography. A concern that my tutors raised about my scans was how it’s not necessarily obvious that the focus is on the nail polish so I needed to try and find ways of highlighting this to show that it’s the focal point of the composition. I plan for the scans to mainly be used for the poster designs but may also be used a bit in the video.

Experimenting with rips: these are all different experiments I did around the idea of ripping or removing bits of a top layer to reveal the coloured scan. Nail polish is used as a form of self expression and the idea behind the rips is that it’s revealing someone true expression. I tried out different eraser brushes in Procreate and various paper textures. Having the top layer in greyscale really highlights the coloured nails on the layer beneath, immediately drawing your eye to that area. I particularly like the ones where the top layer looks like paper, I think this could make for a really nice poster. It has a nice vintage rock band feel so I think this style successfully blends the 2 visual styles into 1 identity.

Experimenting with colour: I think the colour palette I chose for the event was really strong and needed to be more visible in the designs than just on the nails. I experimented with where I put the colour, in the background or on the hands. Blending modes on Photoshop and Procreate were key in exploring different ways of presenting the colours. With the colour the scans are so much more visually interesting and unique. They really stand out from the other designs in this field. In some cases the colour does distract from the nail polish but I don’t think this is necessarily an issue because the visual style is meant to contrast the classic cleanly photographed aesthetic. The combination of textures, rips and colours is looking really nice and definitely something I will take into my poster designs.

Adding extra details: For these ones I took a couple edited scans and added in some of my hand drawn sketches, prints and jewellery textures. I inverted them to make them all white. These help to add another level of interest and meaning to the designs. I like how layered the visual identity is becoming but I don’t think I’ll use these extra details on all my designs. I think some images are strong enough with just the scans and colours and the extra bits will make them too busy.

Reflection: I’m really happy all the different ways I’ve experimented with editing the scans. I think my work is starting to reflect the unique visual identity I was aiming for with the textures, colours and extra details such as the sketches. It is distinctly different from any other nail polish advertising I found during my social media research. I also this is starting to successfully blend the dark, moody aesthetic of Hotel Diablo with the styles of UN DN. I will be taking these ideas into my posters designs.

Scanning: this is a technique that I’ve been working on in my spare time as I like the image quality. I also touched on it in my ‘Bloody Valentine’ work. I wanted to utilise scanning in my project as it produces images that have a lovely blend of high resolution focussed areas and more blurred, grainy parts. Also I like the darkness of the backgrounds. This style has a similar look to some of the Hotel Diablo images but contrasting the style used by UN DN and nail polish advertising in general. Normally they used super high definition, well lit photos which I will use but I also wanted to incorporate more gurney, grainy scans. I particularly think this style of image will work well on posters, with the hand made sketches and typography.

Hands: not all of these scans of hands have the colours from the Hotel Diablo nail polish palette. I won’t be using those ones for final pieces, but they will be used for experimentation. I want to be very controlled with the colour seen in my final work as my colour palette will be important to the visual identity. These scans feature my hands with a few that have a girls hands in them too. I will get more of a mixture when it comes to the photography. This is important as UN DN prides itself on being a unisex brand and MGK has a very mixed audience so the advertising needs to represent both boy and girls. I took scans in different poses , orientations and distance away to get a variety of images to work with. Personally I like the ones that are about further away as they get more textured and grainy, giving them a more interesting effect. The scanning produced really nice shine on the nail polish which really helps make them stand out in the image. I think there’s already staring to be a nice blend between the different aesthetics.

Hands with flowers: I wanted to introduced roses into some to add another layer to the compositions. I think these are really successful, the colours of the roses really pop and nicely contrast the dark, grainy style. Flowers is a subject I started to explore in my sketches and think it could become a really important theme throughout my work. I like the colour and life they bring to an image which nicely sits between the dark, grunge aesthetic and the clean, pretty style typically used by nail polish companies. I will explore this more as I go through the project.

Jewellery: jewellery is going to play a key part in the visual identity of this event. I will specifically be using silver and pearl jewellery. These are my favourite types of jewellery so I have lots of pieces that I can used for the photos and scans. They nicely complement the colour palette. Silver jewellery has roots on punk and rock culture so works for that side of the aesthetic. Also pearls are becoming more trendy and are something MGK is seen wearing a lot. These 2 jewellery styles will be familiar and popular within the target audience. In the hand scans you can see lots of this jewellery and I wanted to experiment with it more. They create a really nice shine and could make interesting overlays and textures.

Reflection: I think these scanning experiments were really successfully. I’m very happy with the image quality and show the start of merging the 2 aesthetics into one cohesive visual identity for the event. I’m particularly pleased with how well the scanner is able to pick up the texture of the nail polish. The next step will be to start exploring how I can combine these scans with the typography, sketches and colour palette.

I continued to develop my ideas for the projects typography. I decided to have the main, recognisable typefaces for the advertising to be in a rough, loose, hand written style. This is key to the visual identity of my event and will be seen across the static, sequential and interactive pieces. As I mentioned previously this is a stylised version of my handwriting, created with black markers. I chose to do them all in black for convenience and will digitally a,tee the colours if necessary. I experimented with the idea of writing out an alphabet in this style and constructing the text from that. I felt that this would make it too rigid and wouldn’t have the authentic and personal style that I was aiming for. The inspirations for this style was to try combine the typography used by both UN DN and Hotel Diablo to find a balance. It has the careless style of Hotel Diablo combined with the thick, bold line weight used by UN DN. More about this typography style can be found in my post about the event details and my work on ‘Bloody Valentine’.

Logo:

Hotel Diablo tracklist:

Hotel Diablo lyrics and UN DN slogans:

Reflection: I’m really happy with this typographic choice. While it was a more time consuming process than just using a digital typeface such as one available with Adobe, I think it was worth the extra time. I now have a unique typeface that will make my visual identity stand out from other nail polish companies or similar events. I did multiple versions of each word or phrase so that I had variation and options. Also I would like to try and create a similar stop motion effect that the Young V&A use in their visual identity.