12
SET BACKGROUND COLOUR
AND ADD FEATURES
The main design is near completion. With the moon
full and low in the sky, an evening or dawn sky
colouration is desired. Select the Background layer
and fill with an appropriate colour using the Paint
Bucket tool. Following this, further design elements
can be added to the image, such as those provided
(File>Open>’colouredcomponents’>’addition
al_elements’). These images may require resizing
depending on where they will be placed. Try to avoid
an overly busy design; retro travel posters are often
minimal in layout with large, very uniform regions as
well as detailed areas.11
ALIGN BACKGROUND FEATURES
After colouring the elements making up the
background section of the design, they must be
opened into the layer stack and positioned (or use
those provided; File>Open>’colouredcomponents’>
’background_elements’). In some cases, these
background layers will be above middle-ground
layers, for example the reed layers. Given that these
background elements are rather small, if the black
element outline regime is maintained in this area of
the image, a difficult mass of lines would result.
Replace the black lines with colours from the swatch
selection. Move the ‘skyline’ layer and middle section
‘Thames’ into alignment.13
INSERT SHADOWS
Some of the elements included shaded
sections. Others, such as the bridge across the river
and the small island, did not. These should be
manually added by zooming in on the area and
carefully outlining a shadowed region in an
appropriate colour with the Pencil tool. When doing
this, consider the relative position of the moon (the
most significant source of light in the image). Place
the shadows directly on the layer casting the
shadow or on the layer underneath, whichever is
most appropriate.10
THE MIDDLE REGION
After colouring the middle region design
elements, bring these into the layout as layers (or
use those provided; File>Open>’colouredcomponents
’>’middleground_elements’). These layers should be
positioned below the foreground layers. For now
there is no requirement to position the design
elements in exactly the final positions; each layer can
be removed or moved as required throughout the
design process.09
COLOUR AND IMPORT FOREGROUND LAYERS
It is time to colour each foreground element file in individually and then save as coloured versions
(if you prefer, use those already coloured in the source files – File>Open>’colouredcomponents’>
’foreground_elements’). Open each file in turn and fill in block colour using the Paint Bucket. Select Contiguous
and set Tolerance to 0 in the toolbar. Copy each element onto the ‘element_baselayer.psd’ stack and reposition.COLOUR AND ALIGN ELEMENTS
COLOUR COMPONENTS AND ARRANGE DESIGN ELEMENTS001 LAYOUT ORDER
The most logical way to order layers is to place the most distant
from the viewer at the top002 LINE THICKNESS
When producing the design element sketches, consider where the element will be positioned.
Use a thicker pen for foreground features003 UNFILLED SPACE
Design elements may not cover the foreground region fully. Insert a new layer
and use the Paint Bucket to fill these003002Try to avoid an overly busy
design; retro travel posters
are often minimal in layout001VINTAGESTYLE TRAVEL POSTER