I found the composition that worked the best by placing the distorted bug in the magnifying glass (and removing the key – seemed too harsh and jagged).
Next, I experimented with the colours and materials I wanted to use to create a tonal version. I knew that I wanted the shell to be soft, watery and almost blurred; this style could represent ocean exploration and the sounds you can hear when you listen to a shell, but also the shell was in the foreground and the other still life objects are sharp, with clean lines. It might be a nice metaphor; the further you go into the image, the clearer your discoveries become.
I also wanted to achieve a shiny/sparkly/metallic effect, so I found gel pens (bronze/silver/gold) to try.
Editing
There was an area in the top left corner that I adjusted (glare from light when photographing, so I airbrushed over [colour spotting tool to match other areas] and added some stars). I also played around with the brightness, contrast, situation and temperature. I knew I wanted the image to look otherworldly but also inviting, so those warm purples had to stay.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the final illustration. I don’t usually enjoy still life, but, because the aim was to capture the essence of a word, it made the task far more interesting. I definitely want to continue to try editing and layering and see how I can use this in future illustrations.
Looking at this image in particular, I feel the magnifying glass lens could be improved (still looks normal – not distorted enough).
Returning
My tutor commented that the starry night sky effect had been slightly lost in the editing process and I totally agreed. I went back to the original image to try to save this effect, as it is important to the ‘discovery’ theme. I think this looks better (the clouds and stars are more noticeable, but by no means dominant).
Jade's OCA Learning Log 