To start off on this project the main goal was to choose a theme, notable figure or memorable event. I ran through many ideas but ultimately came to choose to commemorate H. P. Lovecraft and his works of horror literature. I had been reading a lot of Lovecraft titles at the time and was very interested in his artwork. I ultimately made a list of his works and was originally going to pick a specific book but ultimately decided to commemorate his works altogether.
Some of the choices I was originally going to include were:
- At the Mountains of Madness (1936)
- The Dunwich Horror (1929)
- The Call of Cthulu (1928)
- Dagon (1919)
- The Whisperer in Darkness (1931)
- The Haunter of the Dark (1936)
Concept sketches were made to drive forward a basic idea of what was meant to be achieved in this portion of the design process. The concept was to have a grave and a dark figure to start, with Lovecraftian design expanding from the center.
To start, the image was to be simple, and it was intended to sit still for a short period. The figures eyes then glow and in a third frame, we can see the assets beginning to expand from behind the man.
The image swirls around for a split second and then completely retracts back to the original image. It sits still again and then repeats.
The Intention was to have a minor jump-scare, something so subtle that the viewer could miss it in a split second. This final concept was chosen to move forward in to the next phase of this project as it concisely captured the all the elements of the lovecraftian design.
The beginning of this project was about laying out a good design that I could then translate into a digital asset to use for my final design. There were alternative sketches made for the covers of the other books that were originally to be included but this was the sketch that was chosen. This sketch made the most sense because it not only embodied the lovecraftian theme well but it also allowed for a dynamic layout and interaction.
After solidifying my concept drawing, I took the picture into Adobe Illustrator and worked on digitizing the separate aspects of the composition. The image is broken down into 4 separate layers: The man on the grave, the tentacles, the smoke and the wings.
The focus then turned to the detail of the design. Many designs were made for the grave with this one being the final rendition.
The final design was completed and then taken back into AfterEffects and animated a second time with the completed design assets.
Once completed, the assets were imported into Adobe After Effects and made into a gif that portrayed my concept. This is a picture of that process and what it looked like with all the individual layers.
Overall, this design generally achieves its primary function in regards to addressing the challenge. For me the point was to have a still, ominous feel, that could deliver a cheap jump-scare that you could miss in a second.
In the future, I think there is more research to be done in-terms of whom we choose to commemorate and why. In this regard I would have like to have done more research about my subject before moving forward with this design.
If you like what you see and want to work together, get in touch!
ffernandez.designs@gmail.com