TUTORIAL WORK: Flaming Lips poster (Shapes, Overlays, Blending Modes)

Here I have duplicated a poster for The Flaming Lips (left) as a way to experiment with both Blending modes and Overlays in Photoshop. The various shapes atop the sliced woman's face use both a pattern overlay and a blending mode. The pattern used is that of a grungey piece of slab/wood, that gives a very slight grainy effect to the shapes. I have used it very subtly to almost give the effect of sponge printing. They also use a blending mode (a setting applied to a layer in photoshop to dictate how it will interact with the layers beneath it) named Linear Light to ensure a low opacity to the shapes that also alters the colour of shapes beneath them. There is also a large white square over the top of the image with a spotty patern overlay applied to add texture to the image. The shapes were made using both the Elipse Tool and the Polygonal Lasso tool.

I also produced these two pieces in my spare time to expriment further with these techniques.

On the clouds and background, I have used Gradient overlays to add shine and shape. The text has a combination of a Stroke overlay, a Gradient overlay, a Bevel overlay and a Pattern overlay to add detail and form to it. The Vignette at the edges has been achieved by covering the whole document in black and then erasing a whole in the center of this black rectangle with a soft brush, leaving blackened edges.

For this, the cloud and snowflake both have Bevel overlays to give them form and shape (like plastic toys), and also slight gradients to add a sense of lighting. The background is a single gradient, which is bright blue to white, providing a cool, icy feel that suits the image.