Further Progress

Here is my further progress of my cover art.

At the first glance we can see that I've added the title of the game and PAL logo on the spine as well as the age rating logos. I chose this name as it will be closely linked to the theme of the game while the age rating of 18 reflects the content that the game would have including: strong violence, bad language, sexual references, etc.

I've also added formal things: bar code, legal info and PS sign. I've placed them in the designated area; the white rectangle at the bottom of the back cover. This is because nearly all video games have this information present in this area and so placing these elsewhere would be weird for me as well as the potential buyers.

Now the best bit. I've modified the back cover image by adding the shadows using paint brush on a new layer while lowering its opacity to make it look more subtle. I also added the light rays effect representing the sunshine using filters. Now the image looks much more realistic with more life to it than it originally had which was exactly my aim.

I've managed to do this partially thanks to the photoshop tutorial I've found which explained step by step on how to create light rays.

Now the only things left to do are: title (front), description (back), pictures (back) and more logos :)

References

"Add Rays of Light" Tutorial
PEGI rating: https://www.google.co.uk/
Barcode image: https://www.google.co.uk/
Playstation stamp: https://www.google.co.uk/

Update

Hi everyone, I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still working on my assignment. Here is the screenshot showing my current progress at making my cover art.

As you can see, the front and back cover backgrounds are in place as well as the spine. The covers were made by merging parts of multiple images together. I chose the case wrap to be for a PS2 game as these games use 'Amaray' style cases for their packaging. This will ensure that my case wrap size will meet the specification.

The next step will be to add things like: title (front & spine), logo, description (back), pictures (back), legal information (bottom back), etc. as well as maybe add some visual effects to the images.

References

Background garden image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Background lady image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Front samurai image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Front background image: http://www.imagesource.com/
Playstation 2 front image: https://www.google.co.uk/
Spine image: https://www.google.co.uk/
PAL logo: https://www.google.co.uk/

Digital Image Alterations: Ethics

Hi there everyone, today will be a bit different as I've decided to talk a bit about something that might not be directly affecting my assignment but surely is relevant to it; the ethics.

We are probably all aware that nowadays many images we see in things like fashion magazines, covers, etc. have been digitally altered. After some research, I've found out that this has caused many disputes among the community worldwide as some people were arguing for image manipulation while others were arguing against it. Let's now have a look at some of the main arguments for and against image manipulation. 

For image manipulation:

• It represents reality better as the images are altered only slightly.
• It is expected by viewers and so can't fool us.
• It can be seen as artistic in nature.
• It allows us to see our 'fantasy' selves

Against image manipulation:

• It contributes to eating disorders.
• It promotes unrealistic ideals about body image.
• It narrows the definition of 'beauty' and harms self-image.
• It lowers self-esteem.
• The altered images are misleading.

During my researched it has been noted that the problems with image manipulation have been mainly associated with girls and young women as they are naturally self-conscious and less experienced in life compared to adult women, therefore more prone to believe that altered images are actually real.

To tackle these problems, most governments around the world have agreed that new laws must be in place. The laws varied a bit between countries but all tried to accomplish similar goals; to indicate which images are altered so that all viewers are aware of it.

Personally, I'm not sided with any side of the argument but I agree with the governments and their actions to limit the problems associated with image manipulation as this allows us all to enjoy the benefits of image manipulation while doing so safely and in healthy manner.

Case Wrap Template

Today I'll be creating the template for my video game case wrap using software called "Adobe Photoshop".

Before I start, I'll need to consider the following factors that will affect my case wrap:

• Dimensions - What will the height and width of my case wrap be, including the spine and considering things like bleed and safety margins.
• Resolution - How detailed will my cover art be based on the number of pixels present in my template. The higher the value for the "Ppi - pixels per inch" the more detailed the work will be.  
• Colour Space - How big the variety of colours will be present on my cover art. This will be either 8,16 or 32 bits. The more bits the more accurate the colours due to more colours being available. Also I'll need to consider what colour mode should I use. 
• Background Contents - This will determine what kind of background will my template have. It could either be transparent of coloured. 

After doing some background research I have finally decided to set my template using the following settings:

• Dimensions - 7.5" x 11" (whole template), 7.25" x 0.5" (spine)
• Resolution - 300 pixels/inch
• Colour Space - RGB Colour (32 bits)
• Background Contents - Transparent

The dimensions set are exactly the same as the ones I found on the internet which are used for an Amaray DVD case wrap. This is because the specification for this assignment has specifically required this format of the case wrap. 

I've set the resolution to 300 Ppi because during my research I've noticed that most businesses required the resolution to be a minimum of 300 Ppi or higher. I've decided to do the same as I thought that it would be a good practice for the 'real world' work environment. 

I've decided that the colour space should be in 'RGB Colour' mode as this is the mode that monitors use to display colours. This means that when I'll be creating my cover art, all the colours that I'll use will be displayed correctly. Also since the cover art will be for a video game, I've decided that the colour space should be in 16 bits as video games often use graphics which are highly detailed and rich in varieties of colours, therefore if I am to reproduce that I'll need the high range of colours while keeping the file size smaller.

The set the background contents to transparent because throughout my experience with the "Adobe Photoshop" I've always found this option to be the most useful and the one that will least get in my way later on when I'll be applying different techniques of image manipulation. 

Introduction

Hi everyone, this is my first post on my first blog ever!!

This blog will be about my progress for the Digital Imaging Software Assignment that I'm currently doing. The aim of the assignment is for me to create, using software, a package for a DVD or a video game that will consist of the case wrap as well as a 1 minute long trailer which will both present my product, giving it a character and originality.

My expectations are that by the end of the assignment this blog will show all the work that I've done including all decision-making, justification, designs, ideas and anything else that is related to this assignment.

Ideas & Concept

In this section of my blog I'll be talking about my vision for the assignment as well as the external sources of inspiration which could help me in creation of my designs.

My main idea for this assignment is to create the package for a Samurai themed video game set in feudal Japan. This is because since childhood I was always interested in the feudal Japan culture, how people used to live then, the customs that applied during those times as well as the warfare including the Samurai themselves. Also this decision was greatly influenced by the fact that I'm currently attending Kendo-Iaido club which I enjoy very much.

Due to the nature of the theme, the design will be rather distinctive and easily recognisable for anyone that is familiar with the setting. 

Here are some existing works which I think might help me in the design of my product.

This is a front cover of the video game called "Way of the Samurai". What I liked about it and which I might use in my design was the background sky as I think the colours are presenting the sky at dusk really well. Also the colours themselves seem very attractive to the eyes, grabbing their attention, which I think might be useful if I had to sell my product in the real-life scenario.

This is a unofficial wallpaper based on a video game called "Way of the Samurai 3". What I liked about it was the warrior figures shown as all of them were in a battle stance. Also what I thought was good is the fact that there is a sense of depth present which made the scene look more alive.

References

Way of the Samurai image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Way_of_the_Samurai_Coverart.png

Way of the Samurai 3 image: http://86bb71d19d3bcb79effc-d9e6924a0395cb1b5b9f03b7640d26eb.r91.cf1.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/way-of-the-samurai-3-wallpaper.jpg