Custom Cover Art Thread

[Torrente]

It's been weeks and months and weeks that this thread is flooded by James Bond love...
Some of the art are excellent, don't get me wrong, but what bothers me here is that I didn't see any original stuff, no one is trying "something different", something personal. It's always the same art over and over with slightly different options, but nothing really "new".

Although I agree with every criticism aggienader08 wrote about ScottDS take on Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket BD, I found this work to be so fresh that I was happy to come back here to see that

Should I add that the WB cover art versions that ScottDS made, are absolutely gorgeous and flawless! I definitely would like to bother him and ask him if he could send me a link to the HD version of Coma, Altered States, Brainstorm, Taking on Pelham? That would be a blast!

Anyway, your covers made my day!

[ScottDS]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

[Show spoiler]I think the rest are rather sloppy. Pardon me if you think rude, but your Shining cover is completely unoriginal. Having "The Shining" title break up the "All work and no play..." randomly isn't doing much other than inserting a title whimsically wherever you can place it. I'm not trying to boast (especially since my proposal was never actually published), but try something like this:



This is a proposal I did for the actual digibook release. Find a frame or image from the movie to kind of separate all the text.

Don't care for the Dr. Strangelove cover, especially since the image of Tracy Reed covered up has little to do with the actual film in and of itself. That image just does not cross my mind at all when I think of the film. Sorry, but try something more iconic or perhaps nostalgic.

The Full Metal Jacket front looks like you're just trying a little too hard to be original (which isn't bad) but can come across a little too "busy" sometimes.

The same applies to the Eyes Wide Shut front. I really can't figure out what imagery you're trying to display there. Especially since half of the image in the corner is opaque, but yet you can see the top line where the image ends... I don't know how else to explain it.

No worries!

I found images on these two websites:
-http://miscartelesdecine.blogspot.com.es/2010/08/stanley-kubrick-nueva-york-1928.html
-http://pineapples101.blogspot.com/

As for everything else, I'm trying to get into my school's graphic design program and I'm doing these covers simply to get in some Photoshop time. I know Blu-Ray covers aren't considered high art (and would probably be frowned on) but I figured I'd start with what I know. (This is NOT a school assignment; simply a free-time exercise.)

Re: Strangelove - I agree that Tracy Reed isn't exactly the star of the movie but I was going for a vintage Playboy look. I started thinking about the various sexual metaphors in the film (from the plane refueling to the president's name to Slim Pickens' orgasm-like ride on the bomb) and went from there.

Re: The Shining - I knew going into it that it wasn't an original idea. I had actually considered doing something similar to what you did (putting Jack's face inside the original title treatment) but I changed my mind.

Re: Full Metal Jacket - It wasn't my intention to look "busy." I was stumped for a while - I had considered taking the original poster and adding smoking bullet holes to it (like what Paramount did when they re-released The Untouchables). I knew I did NOT want to do something with camouflage. Then I was talking to a friend about Tony Scott and I thought of the 2-disc SE DVD of Man on Fire, which features a heavily saturated grainy image of Denzel and I went from there. (I'm tempted to do some Bond covers in a similar fashion since you can't really improve on what others have done with the key art.)

Re: Eyes Wide Shut - Another one that stumped me for a while. I'll admit this one was trial and error till I saw something I liked. I knew I didn't want to necessarily do something with masks because that's what everyone else does when they do this movie. For some odd reason, I Googled vintage Penguin book covers and that led to old book textures and that led to the texture I finally used.

I'll most likely re-do all of these once I have more experience under my belt.

[ScottDS]

Originally Posted by Morsoth

I really like the idea of adding an icon related to the movie on each cover (back cover, bottom left). It's a clever idea!

The Clockwork Orange is my favorite!

Thanks!

[Riddler The Slag]

Originally Posted by ScottDS

PM sent!

Cheers again youth! Going to print them this weekend!

[ScottDS]

Originally Posted by Torrente

Although I agree with every criticism aggienader08 wrote about ScottDS take on Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket BD, I found this work to be so fresh that I was happy to come back here to see that

Should I add that the WB cover art versions that ScottDS made, are absolutely gorgeous and flawless! I definitely would like to bother him and ask him if he could send me a link to the HD version of Coma, Altered States, Brainstorm, Taking on Pelham? That would be a blast!

Anyway, your covers made my day!

E-mail sent!

Incidentally, re: the recent WB sci-fi titles, I would've done Outland as well but someone beat me to it. There's one posted on EuphoricFX and it's pretty much what I would've done.

[aggienader08]

Originally Posted by ScottDS

No worries!

I found images on these two websites:
-http://miscartelesdecine.blogspot.com.es/2010/08/stanley-kubrick-nueva-york-1928.html
-http://pineapples101.blogspot.com/

As for everything else, I'm trying to get into my school's graphic design program and I'm doing these covers simply to get in some Photoshop time. I know Blu-Ray covers aren't considered high art (and would probably be frowned on) but I figured I'd start with what I know. (This is NOT a school assignment; simply a free-time exercise.)

Re: Strangelove - I agree that Tracy Reed isn't exactly the star of the movie but I was going for a vintage Playboy look. I started thinking about the various sexual metaphors in the film (from the plane refueling to the president's name to Slim Pickens' orgasm-like ride on the bomb) and went from there.

Re: The Shining - I knew going into it that it wasn't an original idea. I had actually considered doing something similar to what you did (putting Jack's face inside the original title treatment) but I changed my mind.

Re: Full Metal Jacket - It wasn't my intention to look "busy." I was stumped for a while - I had considered taking the original poster and adding smoking bullet holes to it (like what Paramount did when they re-released The Untouchables). I knew I did NOT want to do something with camouflage. Then I was talking to a friend about Tony Scott and I thought of the 2-disc SE DVD of Man on Fire, which features a heavily saturated grainy image of Denzel and I went from there. (I'm tempted to do some Bond covers in a similar fashion since you can't really improve on what others have done with the key art.)

Re: Eyes Wide Shut - Another one that stumped me for a while. I'll admit this one was trial and error till I saw something I liked. I knew I didn't want to necessarily do something with masks because that's what everyone else does when they do this movie. For some odd reason, I Googled vintage Penguin book covers and that led to old book textures and that led to the texture I finally used.

I'll most likely re-do all of these once I have more experience under my belt.

I feel ya! For some of Kubrick's films like Eyes Wide Shut and Full Metal Jacket, the resources are so limited for those, and sometimes it's best to just to do something generic. I know the most well known image of Eyes Wide Shut is Tom and Nicole close up, maybe it's best to use that and put your own spin on it. This is what I chose:



Also, the most iconic imagery of FMJ has to be the helmet, and it's tough to get around that and put your own spin on it.

You're on the right track though. Keep up the good work.

[ScottDS]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

Also, the most iconic imagery of FMJ has to be the helmet, and it's tough to get around that and put your own spin on it.

You're on the right track though. Keep up the good work.

Thanks.

Yeah, it's amazing what exists and doesn't exist for some of these movies. I recently told a friend, "Not every movie is Star Wars with a million posters and a ton of recognizable images and characters!"

And some posters can't be improved on. Take Jaws for instance - I'm never gonna do Jaws because I don't think you can improve on that art!

Hell, if someone asked me to do Jaws, it'd probably look more like my Full Metal Jacket cover.

As for the iconic Eyes Wide Shut image, I think that's why I chose the image I did, with Tom featured more prominently instead of Nicole and during a much different scene, if only because the other one has been used before. (Yeah, I guess I'm a contrarian like that sometimes.)

[kspolikoff]

is there anywhere i can make a custom cover request?

[Riddler The Slag]

Originally Posted by ScottDS

And some posters can't be improved on. Take Jaws for instance - I'm never gonna do Jaws because I don't think you can improve on that art!

I would certainly like to see someone try.

[DetroitSquirreL]

Originally Posted by kspolikoff

is there anywhere i can make a custom cover request?

I've made a few requests for the same title a few times and it seems to have feel on deaf ear

[DrrnHarr]

Originally Posted by kspolikoff

is there anywhere i can make a custom cover request?

PM Nissen...He does commissions. I'm not sure how much he charges, but his work is excellent.

[alphadec]

Finally after a long time work I have finally completed my most difficult custom cover, hope you like it.

superman_the-movie_PRE2.jpg

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by alphadec

Finally after a long time work I have finally completed my most difficult custom cover, hope you like it.

Very nice but Superman: The Movie was MPAA rated PG.

[Morsoth]

Originally Posted by DetroitSquirreL

I've made a few requests for the same title a few times and it seems to have feel on deaf ear

I'm curious... What was the movie?

[runnersdialzero]

Not a big fan of the synopsis font. And I would make it filled justified, not left justified.

[nichart]

Started work on covers for Looper and The Possession... neither of which are even in theatres yet. What can I say, I'm ambitious...

[Jamdez]

Originally Posted by nichart

Started work on covers for Looper and The Possession... neither of which are even in theatres yet. What can I say, I'm ambitious...

[Show spoiler]

Sweet artwork for Looper! Looks really good so far!

[DrrnHarr]

Wanted to put together a "Flash Gordon" custom using the advance poster on the back:

[Guydowood]

I think we're getting closer to the final one sheet, but here's the UK Quad...

quad_teaser_poster_uk.jpg

[rybev]

Originally Posted by Guydowood

I think we're getting closer to the final one sheet, but here's the UK Quad...

[Show spoiler]Attachment 50057

That's only the teaser poster.