Katie Stains

Tools Used:

• Photoshop

Skills Demonstrated:

• Complex compositing
• Blend modes, adjustment layers, filters
• Complex selections and masking
• Warp and distortion effects

Project Description:

For this school project, I was prompted to create a piece of commercial advertising for a brand of my choice that showed off the complex masking and compositing techniques I had gained over the semester. I elected to design an advertising poster for the Halloween collection of one of my favorite skincare brands, LUSH. 

Designs and Decisions:

I wanted to come up with a concept that both stayed true to the playful and vibrant identity of the brand, as well as exhibited my blossoming skills in compositing. To blend the two themes of Halloween and skincare, I came up with the idea of a witch concocting a bath bomb potion. Every element of the composition, ranging from the cauldron and bath water to the bath bomb and hand, were imported separately and diligently immersed into the design through intricate masking, and further enhanced with various Photoshop effects. A particularly unique skill I learned through this project was the art of image warping, enabling me to manipulate a simple hand asset to evoke the distinctive, claw-like grasp of a witch.

Result:

The outcome of this project is a poster that cultivates excitement for LUSH’s Halloween product line in a way that is mysterious yet engaging. This was one of my favorite projects in college, as I discovered my love for complex compositing and image manipulation while doing it.