Friday 12 April 2013

Tutorial: Final Fantasy Style Logo Artwork

I’m a huge fan of the Final Fantasy RPG franchise and all the artistic merits that come with it. I get lost in the music as I write and love the abstract concept art of Yoshitaka Amano. My first taste was on the PAL version of Final Fantasy IX where I saw the character art on the disc and how radically different it was from the end result. When I started finding more of Yoshitaka Amanos work and discovering his involvement with each major instalments logo, I went nuts. So over the head crazy, I found out how to make my own in similar fashion.
This really isn’t a daunting project by all means and is quite easy to do. If you love freestyle sketching, you’ll enjoy step one.
Works with:

Procreate
Sketchbook
Sketch Club
Art Rage
ArtStudio
For this example I will transform one of my already completed works that I think would work perfectly.
Step 1: Sketch Your Image
Whether you import and trace an image or doodle one from scratch, your first step is to make a black and white sketch. Remember the black parts of the image will be colored. I recommend using a bold pen brush with the highest opacity and medium stroke length for the highest effect. Fill in where there will will be definition and shadows such as facial features for example.
The key to this project is that it's abstract. As long as its recognizable and creative, you shouldn't have to worry about the details.
Step 2: Abstract Painting
Here’s your opportunity to let your color palette go nuts. In a separate layer above the black and white base, go nuts with a broad brush effect with two contrasting colors of your choice. There’s no need to be specific or careful of where these colors go unless you wish them to go a certain way. You don’t need to contain it within the lower layers lines.
Tip: I find it helpful to blend the colors and make adjustments using the smudge tool after I’m done painting.
Step 3: Layer Effect
Change the color layer to screen. This will keep the color but restrict it only to where black beneath the layer is. Thus giving us a Final Fantasy style logo effect. With that in mind, it’s a fantastically effective way of colouring images or experimenting with a different style. Happy painting!
Final Result: What do you reckon?


All images are Copyrighted by Jason Rodway including the Heavens Legend Logo

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