Custom Cover Art Thread

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by Boomstick_316

It's funny you should say that. I wonder where Lucas (and whoever else wrote that shit pile) got the idea of crystal skulls from...

And writer Jeffrey Boam worked on the screenplays for both Phantom and Last Crusade. It's a small world.

[Boomstick_316]

Originally Posted by Nissen

And writer Jeffrey Boam worked on the screenplays for both Phantom and Last Crusade. It's a small world.

Yeah, I thought there was a connection somewhere, but I couldn't remember how.

I don't suppose anyone has UK cover scans of Gran Torino and Sherlock Holmes, or knows where I can find them?

[Torrente]

Originally Posted by Nissen

Here's another one that I had started last year but never finished. I'm doing some spring (fall) cleaning in my WIP folder :-)

The Phantom (1996)

[Show spoiler]

That's three for three from the 90's pulp hero films, as I've already done The Shadow and The Rocketeer. Did I miss any?

Available by PM or at CustoManiacs.

Man it's awesome!!!

I love your work Nissen! It's so fresh everytime and yet so simple (I don't imply that it didn't require hours of work because I know it does, as I also do some customs for my french BDs - it's why I don't post anything - and it's often the simpliest covers that require the most time and care)

I hope you could send it to me along with the gorgeous one you made for Deep Rising?

[Dynamo of Eternia]

I'm looking for some friendly advice for a cover that I've been working on (I posted about it previously, but I hadn't worked on it in a while until yesterday and today). Out of the two images below, which background looks better? I'm also open to constructive criticism on how to improve it overall.

[Hubunkey]

I like the first one and cant wait to see MMPR: The Movie

[The_Donster]

Originally Posted by Nissen

Hi Don.
You mean using the throne on the back and the torso shot on the front? (That's what they did for the retail cover, you know?) Anyway, this was the poster I wanted for the front, as it is the moodiest and coolest of them all, and yes, better than the film itself.

I am toying with the idea of doing a Struzan cover for Phantom. I believe he only did colour comprehensives for it but never an actual poster. None of them are in any of the Drew books, so I don't know how I can source them.

The Phantom was hard to find good images for, so anything you have I'd love to see (PM me).

Yep, that's what I meant. I didn't realize they did that for the cover. Like you, I love the subtlety of him on his thrown. For whatever reason I thought they did it the same as the laserdisc and dvd(see below). I'll see if I can find that magazine. I had one of those movie magazines that they did for this and The Shadow. OK, here is a picture of the magazine I'm talking about. If you can track that or a Japanese program of the movie you'll find a $#!% load of pics. I use much of these and magazine likes Starlog to find photo scraps of whatever I was drawing at the time. Highlander The Series was the bear at the time for me. Anyway, I'll try and find that and send you some pics when I get a chance. Most of my photo scrap is buried somewhere in my garage.

[Nissen]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

I'm looking for some friendly advice for a cover that I've been working on (I posted about it previously, but I hadn't worked on it in a while until yesterday and today). Out of the two images below, which background looks better? I'm also open to constructive criticism on how to improve it overall.

[Show spoiler]

Some friendly advice, eh?

Well, I think the second one works best, because the perspective vanishing point of the grid mesh more closely matches the vanishing point on the speeding cars, and the vanishing point on the title treatment. In the first version they are going off in all different directions.

Does the mesh have a significance to the actual film? Otherwise, I would replace it with something else, light streaks, a cloud texture or other atmospheric, smoky background. It would go better with the lightning too. I just think the grids look so mechanical and "hard" for lack of a better word.

Either way, these look very professional and that's a compliment.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Nissen

Some friendly advice, eh?

Well, I think the second one works best, because the perspective vanishing point of the grid mesh more closely matches the vanishing point on the speeding cars, and the vanishing point on the title treatment. In the first version they are going off in all different directions.

Does the mesh have a significance to the actual film? Otherwise, I would replace it with something else, light streaks, a cloud texture or other atmospheric, smoky background. It would go better with the lightning too. I just think the grids look so mechanical and "hard" for lack of a better word.

Either way, these look very professional and that's a compliment.

The mesh/grid look doesn't really have any significance to the film, itself.

But, recently Time Life and Shout Factory released the first 7 seasons of Power Rangers which can be ordered through time life. Seasons 1-3 are the "Might Morphin" seasons, and have their own slip-box, and a certain style. Season 4-7 (which is the start of when the title would change each year to Power Rangers: [insert subtitle here]) have a somewhat different look, including a grid background. And each season is "themed" off of a different color of Ranger. So, I'm basing this around the Green Ranger from the movie since none of the sets are themes around that color.

My goal here is to make custom covers for the two movies to make them match up with these sets (this is the 2nd movie which takes place in between seasons 4 and 5, so I'm making it match those sets... the first Film will match the Seasons 1-3 look).

The biggest issue for me has been find grid patterns that work and match up. I have no idea how to even go about creating something like that in photoshop (the grid), so I had been searching online. I wasn't coming up with anything great (the previous one that I was working with, which I think is posted elsewhere in this thread, just looked terrible), but then I saw some video online and it gave me a great idea of search for wormholes instead (as the graphical representation of wormholes in space has a similar look to what I was looking for). Even though this still doesn't exactly match up with the season sets, it's still a lot better. I'm also willing to let the movies (particularly on the front covers) vary a bit from the season set look to have them stand out.

Here's a couple of the front covers from the 4-7 set:



And here's the spines of seasons 4-7 (this was captured from a youtube video, so the quality isn't that great):



So, what I'm trying to do is make this match up. That's why I put "Movie II" in place of the season number, and the black and white 20th century fox logo in the same place as the boxes that say the number of discs for each set.


Getting back to the grid pattern background, like I said, I didn't make it from scratch, I just recolored it and deleted the black background that was around it. I'm conflicted on which version to use. The second image from my previous post is the grid in it's original shape (just resized, recolored, etc). The thing that bugs me about it is that for the upper portion of it (above the "horizon", if you will) it's curving inward more so than outward. I was trying to get it a little closer to that outward radiating look of the grid patterns on the season sets, even though it still wouldn't be exactly the same.

So, with the first image from my previous post, I actually took the original grid image, cut it in half, and flipped the two halves around to try and sort of get the opposite effect. Where the two halves actually meet didn't match up correctly, of course, so that's why I added that green beam of energy above the title to hide that. I have mixed feelings on the result. I do agree that it makes the pattern look 'off' in some respects. Obviously wear the two halves meet wouldn't make a perfectly round shape, but it still go the effect that I was going for a little bit better.

And I'm actually conflicted as to which version of the lower portion I like better. I do agree with you about how in the 2nd version, the lower portion matches up with the vanishing point of the cars and the title better. At the same time, what I like about the first version is how the lower portion looks in respect to the Rangers' heads. I like how it kind of 'vanishes' behind the yellow and blue ranger's heads.

And something really bugs me for some reason about the way the grid pattern looks above the title on the 2nd version. I may try putting in the green energy beam over it and see if the breaks up the monotony, even though I don't "need" it to hide anything like I did in the first version.

Ah, conflicts!


Thanks for the compliments about the professional look of it!
It means a lot coming from you given all that you've done and are capable of. I know my skills aren't up there with many others, and I'm also using a rather old version of Photoshop, but I'm trying to improve!

I do find it funny that I'm putting this much effort into something like Power Rangers.

[alphadec]

Another Alistair Maclean cover completed.

puppet on a chain-2 copy.jpg

[SwaggerJagger]

Does anyone have official artwork for 21 Jump Street? Thanks

[alphadec]

Originally Posted by SwaggerJagger

Does anyone have official artwork for 21 Jump Street? Thanks

U Will find it at impawards.com

[chip75]

I found this earlier as we're given our VHS stuff to a local charity shop. Some of the VHS stuff is nice, MiB has a custom case with the logo embossed on the inside of the case and The Lost World has a glossy book inside chronicling the making of the film.

Bondvhs.jpg

[alphadec]

Another Alistair Maclean cover completed, a few things to polish but would like some feedback.

Golden Rendezvous_pre.jpg

[Guydowood]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by alphadec

Another Alistair Maclean cover completed, a few things to polish but would like some feedback.

Attachment 50592

I'm diggin' these retro-customs. Excellent Work, Sir, Excellent Work!

[alphadec]

Originally Posted by Guydowood

[Show spoiler]

I'm diggin' these retro-customs. Excellent Work, Sir, Excellent Work!

Thank very much for Nice feedback.

[DrrnHarr]

Originally Posted by chip75

I found this earlier as we're given our VHS stuff to a local charity shop. Some of the VHS stuff is nice, MiB has a custom case with the logo embossed on the inside of the case and The Lost World has a glossy book inside chronicling the making of the film.

Attachment 50584

Nice look, but why did they mess with the Title Treatments when the TT's for the movies are as iconic as the posters.

Certainly the VHS spines are wide enough (much wider than DVD and Blu-ray) that they could fit the tentacles of "Octo*****" and the split ends of "You Only Live Twice".

This is very much a Work-in-progress:

[Show spoiler]

I'm still in two minds about the back and whether I know want the entire front, back and spine to have an open file folder as the background. This dsign does allow greater freedom when it comes to posters for the front.

[Torrente]

Originally Posted by DrrnHarr

This is very much a Work-in-progress:

[Show spoiler]

I'm still in two minds about the back and whether I know want the entire front, back and spine to have an open file folder as the background. This dsign does allow greater freedom when it comes to posters for the front.

THAT is way better! You really are on the good path!
Congrats!

[The_Donster]

I saw Delta Force today at Wal Mart and was wondering if anyone has done a custom of that. Those covers on the Chuck Norris stuff are truly bad and lazy on the parts of the studios.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by DrrnHarr

I'm still in two minds about the back and whether I know want the entire front, back and spine to have an open file folder as the background. This dsign does allow greater freedom when it comes to posters for the front.

That's almost exactly how I pictured them. I think they look fantastic. All they need now is the odd item to go on top of the desk-effect, maybe have something from the film laying on the table. The golden-bullet from Golden Gun, a Martini glass, rock samples from Dr. No and so on. I guess you'd have to rotate the folder on the back cover to accommodate the objects.

You're a very talented guy DrrnHarr mate.

[Boomstick_316]

Originally Posted by DrrnHarr

Nice look, but why did they mess with the Title Treatments when the TT's for the movies are as iconic as the posters.

Certainly the VHS spines are wide enough (much wider than DVD and Blu-ray) that they could fit the tentacles of "Octo*****" and the split ends of "You Only Live Twice".

This is very much a Work-in-progress:

[Show spoiler]

I'm still in two minds about the back and whether I know want the entire front, back and spine to have an open file folder as the background. This dsign does allow greater freedom when it comes to posters for the front.

This is completely brilliant.