Presentation

Hello! Welcome. This time we will learn some concepts to create movie posters. We will also talk about typography, since, with good typography, we manage to convey a clear and coherent message with the general style of the poster. I hope these tips help you turn your illustrations into beautiful movie posters.

 

Without further ado… Let's get started!!

1. File settings

Let's start by knowing some formats that we can use for our poster and how to create the format in CLIP STUDIO PAINT.

 

- DIMENSIONS -

 

Movie posters generally have a vertical style. In this sense, paper size A is followed. Among these formats we have:

 

• A1: The size of this type of poster is usually 594 x 841 mm.

• A0: A versatile size for this type of purpose. Its measurements are: 841 x 1189 mm.

- FILE SETTINGS -

If they are files that are going to be printed, certain technical aspects must be considered such as the color profile, dimensions, margins, etc. At this moment we will not focus on this, but if you want to know more about it I recommend visiting the ED user tutorial. who gave us very good information.

 

 

For posters I advise using an indentation. For that we will use the Comic format (the third in: Type of work).

 

Note: The bleed width is a space that will be cut on the printer, but to avoid errors, extend the design to this part. Avoid placing important items near the bleeding area.

In Presets we can find default formats, in this case A4.

We can configure the size of the margin in the size session, and at the end we have the option to establish a custom one.

Finally, we have three important options.

 

➀ The bleed width can be changed between 3 and 5 mm, this will depend on the printing company's standards.

➁ Regarding resolution, files with more than 300 dpi are ideal for printing and 72 for digital files.

➂ With expression color we have two: Color and monochromatic. One allows you to use colors and the other does not.

2. Composition

Film posters have the function of capturing the viewer's attention by communicating the tone and essence of the film. It must captivate and awaken the desire to want to attend the screening. This type of poster must follow two important communication fundamentals:

 

** Make reference to the plot of the film.

** Convey the feelings it awakens or the environment in which the narrative takes place.

 

Here we have two ideas, the first (left) seeks to convey terror in an ancient time, while the second focuses on a modern time.

(A) The text

In general, the posters usually contain: Title, main actors, the director and the date it was released. Some others have reviews and company logos or awards won.

 

- HIERARCHY -

 

It is used to direct the viewer's gaze, the route goes from the most striking to the least flashy, it shows the viewer where to start and where to go; In the striking part we can find large and decorated letters, bold or underlined, while in the rest, a flat and continuous style, not so large, taking the background when observing the text.

 

The title should be provocative, which is why it should have a large font size. In the image on the left the main title is the largest, the secondary title is small and the credits are even smaller; while on the right everything is the same size. Which one looks better? The one on the left, without a doubt.

-POSITION -

The title can be placed anywhere in the composition or be a direct part of the design, but the credits are usually placed at the top or bottom, trying not to interfere with the main design. Logos of participating companies are mostly visible in the lower margin.

We can also place part of the title behind some element, at an angle, in a semicircular or circular shape.

- DESIGN -

The title must stand out by all means, which is why we can also add textures or decorations that help it stand out, but always maintaining congruence with the other elements of the design.

Another element that we can use to give it cohesion with the atmosphere would be to use decorated fonts. On the internet there are endless fonts that we can download. But don't forget to read the user licenses carefully.

 

I will explain the process to install the fonts in CLIP STUDIO PAINT later.

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(B) The color

Now, colors allow us to transmit feelings and atmospheres. Feelings of love are usually related to pastel and pink colors; hatred or fear of dark colors such as brown, black or red.

 

Colors can be classified as cold and warm, this classification is based on the psychology of color according to what they transmit to people. The reason they are known by that name is because they are visually associated with a low or high temperature. They are usually represented as a division in half of the color wheel.

 

Some meanings of colors vary according to culture, so it is essential to take into account the audience you want to reach.

- WARM COLORS -

 

These colors transmit sensations of high temperatures. Warm colors are those that range from red to yellow. These colors transmit to the viewer the sensations of enthusiasm, passion, joy, love, energy, warmth, etc. Also, they can represent a time of year, for example, autumn.

- COLD COLORS -

In contrast we have cold colors. These colors transmit sensations of low temperatures. Cold colors are those that range from blue to green along with purples. It is the color blue that is most related to cold tones, which, if present in other tones, helps make it appear colder. The bluer a color is, the colder it will be. Cold colors are the tones of winter, of the night, of the seas, lakes, tranquility, calm, solitude, serenity, sadness, night, winter, etc.

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(C) The illustration

The illustration must reflect the setting of the story using narrative resources such as color or the dynamism of the elements presented.

 

• DESIGN TIPS

 

One of the characteristics of this type of posters is that over time similar elements have been used for each genre. It is easy to identify the genre of a film just by seeing these characteristics, and this, rather than being a bad thing, allows us to address the target audience very effectively.

 

- ROMANTIC -

 

These designs are cheerful, with pastel colors, smiling characters, looking at each other or in contrast. Colorful backgrounds and landscapes are also good options.

- ACTION -

With these the sensation of movement, of urgency, is sought; This is achieved with compositions at vertiginous angles, diagonals, etc. As for color, a classic is the use of red and black; being somber colors that allude to passion, colors that evoke feelings of terror or adrenaline.

- TERROR -

As in the previous one, we have black, red or dark colors combined with bloody elements. Another element may be the ghostly figures. White texts for contrast along with criminal style texts will establish an atmosphere of terror.

- SCIENCE FICTION -

Space backgrounds along with neon color palettes help set our poster in distant futures, in robotic worlds like in classic movies.

3. Typography

Let's start by learning the basic editing features of the text tool. In this tutorial we will cover how to create different typography styles, so we will not pay much attention to the full details of the tool's functionality, so if you want to know everything that has to do with it; Below is a tutorial where I talk in more detail about the settings.

 

 

(A) Text tool

We can find this tool in the tools palette (icon with the letter “A”) or using the keyboard shortcut “T”. In the Tool Property window we will find all the configurations.

- SIZE AND FONT -

In this section the different fonts will appear and we can modulate their size. For the size and fonts we can select a word, letter or the entire phrase, therefore, you can have different size and font configurations within the same text box.

- ADD SOURCES -

When displaying the list of sources, we will find at the end the option: Add source. Here, as the name indicates, new fonts are added, to do this we click on the option, the file search window will open where we will choose the ZIP/ RAR/ TTF/ OTF package that contains our font, we accept.

A message will appear allowing us to save it in the cloud, if you find it convenient to accept, if not, just close. And voila, we have a new font.

- STYLE -

As for the styles we have: Bold, italic, underline and strikethrough. By selecting a word or the entire text we can apply the effect.

- SPACING -

spacing corresponds to the separation between letters or characters. Letters that are very close together or separated make reading difficult, but these two characteristics are useful to give dynamism to the text, giving it an air of freshness. To edit these characteristics in CLIP STUDIO PAINT you must do the following:

 

➀ We must go to “Sub tool detail”, which will be visible by clicking on the wrench at the bottom right. In this window we will find more functions that are not visible in the Tool Property window.

 

➁ In the “Font” section we find two options: Character spacing and narrowing. With the sliders we can control the degree of separation.

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(B) Textures

Different fonts are beautiful on their own, but sometimes they don't fit together well when they share space with an illustration, which is why they are usually textured so that they match the theme of the illustration, or simply stand out.

 

- SPLASH -

 

➀ We will create a text that we will convert into a raster layer. To do this you have to right click on the layer and choose the “Render” option in the menu that appears.

 

Note: Text layers cannot be edited or drawn.

➁ With a textured brush and the transparency selected, paint over the letters. Ready.

 

Note: This is a destructive method, so it is advisable to create a copy of the original text. This way we can edit it in the future without losing it completely.

The advantage of this is that we can use all the brush features and opacity modulation to create the textures.

Additionally, with this method we can create other types of finishes.

- PATTERNS -

➀ Once again we create a text layer, but this does not need to be rasterized.

➁ We take a pattern from the materials folder and drag it to the canvas. This layer has to be above the text.

➂ We click on “Adjust to lower layer”, icon with two boxes found in the layer's functions panel. This is so that the pattern is only visible on what is painted on the bottom layer.

With pattern layers being material images, we can modify their size and position by simply clicking on the layer and using the blue frame.

Note: We can do the same with any image that we place above the text.

- GENERAL TEXTURE -

To add a general texture throughout the typography we will do the following:

 

➀ We will convert the layer to raster.

➁ We mark the layer, set the “Lock transparent brushes” function found in the functions panel of the layer window.

➂ Using the selection tool we will mark the text.

➃ Choosing the white color we will paint the letters using the paint can found in the floating menu of the selection tool.

➄ With the letters in white we will paint over them with any textured brush that we like and of course, with a color other than white. Ready.

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(C) Degraded

SIMPLE GRADIENTS: These are the ones found in the toolbar. They are easy to edit, you can apply them in any direction and they don't need a base color.

GRADIENT MAPS: These can be found in the following path: Layer (L) > New correction layer (J) > Gradient map.

 

They are more complete, and you can download more combinations from ASSETS, invert colors, etc. The peculiarity they have is that they need a base of several colors, this is because the gradient maps replace the existing colors with those of the gradient. This is why we need to have the letters painted with two or more shades to appreciate their effect.

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(D) Should

Previously, to create the border effect we had to do it from the layer properties window, but now, with the new update to 3.0, a border was added to the text tool. Let's see how to get it.

 

➀ We must go to “Sub tool detail”, clicking on the wrench located in the lower right part.

➁ Within this new window we will go to the “Text” section.

➂ Here you must activate the “Border” option. With the bar you modulate the thickness, and with the border color the color.

Note: If we do not want to be opening this window, this function can be made visible in the tool properties window by clicking on the box on the side, when an eye appears in this box it means that it is already It is visible.

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(E) Transformations

Not all texts have to be on the front, we can also fit it in different spaces for different perspectives. Here I will address some transformations.

 

- PERSPECTIVE -

 

To place a text in perspective you must follow these steps:

 

➀ Convert the layer to raster.

➁ Having the layer selected we will go to: Edit > Transform > Free transformation, perspective, distort or tilt. Now you have to move the nodes of the box in the direction of the perspective you want to obtain.

 

There are different transformation tools that allow us to position the text at multiple angles, it's just a matter of trying.

Shortcut: CTRL plus T and right clicking on the transformation as shown in the GIF.

- MESH TRANSFORMATION -

Curving text or placing it in an odd position is easy. Having the layer selected we will go to: Edit > Transform > Mesh Transformation.

 

A mesh will appear with a series of nodes; We can move these nodes to the desired potion.

 

Note: The layer must be rasterized.

- REFLECTION -

In sub tool details, in the “Transformation” section you will find other transformation options apart from those already seen. With these we can invert horizontally or vertically, change the angle of rotation, etc.

To create a reflection we will duplicate the layer, we will lower the opacity of this duplication and we will tilt it to the side that we like best with the aforementioned tools. We will then align this second layer so that the top of the letters touch the bottom of the letters on the first layer. Ready, a reflection.

- CIRCULAR TEXT -

With the update to 3.0 a function was added to place text in a circular shape. A wonderful new effect. To achieve this you must do the following:

 

➀ You have to go to the “Sub tool details”; once in the window we go to the “Circular text” section.

➁ We activate “Circular text”. With the other settings we can modulate the radius, the direction (clockwise and counterclockwise) and the uniform layout.

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(F) Effects

Here are some effects that you can apply to text with some other tools in the program.

 

- BLUR -

 

To create a blurred effect like in the following example, do the following.

➀ We convert the layer into a raster one.

➁ With the layer selected we will go to: Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

➂ In the window we have the intensity adjustment, we choose the level that we like the most.

- MOTION BLUR -

Also, within the blur section we find others that may be useful, such as: the motion blur that we see below. As its name indicates, it generates the sensation of movement at different angles and with varying intensities.

- CHROMATIC ABERRATION -

The chromatic aberration effect gives the text a futuristic effect. Let's see the steps to follow:

 

➀ Convert the layer to raster.

➁ Go to the following path: Filter > Effect > Chromatic Aberration.

➂ In the window we find the intensity and angle settings. We can change between two modes, radial and angular. One moves the aberration in a circular manner, while with the other only in the direction that the angle indicated.

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(G) Distortion filters

Distortion filters are a good tool that allows us to modify the composition of the text. Let's see what we can do.

 

➀ The first thing we will have to do to apply any of these filters is to convert the text layer into a raster one.

➁ Now we will choose one of the filters in the following path: Filter > Effect > Distort.

 

There are a lot of filters, so I will only show the ones that I consider important, but you can always experiment for yourself. The process is simple; A window will appear with a series of sliders that allow you to modulate the settings.

 

- PANORAMIC -

 

With this filter we can achieve a butcher effect.

- WAVES -

This is the one I like the most of all because it creates a border of lines that gives the effect of movement and volume.

- ZIGZAG -

Finally, a ripple effect.

Note: Both this and the previous filters can be used in specific areas. To do this, you must select the area with the selection tool on the same layer as the letter and apply the filter.

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(H) Combined effects

As a last point, we will address other styles that we can give to typography by combining the aforementioned effects and transformations.

 

- GHOST EFFECT -

 

➀ As always, we will start by converting the layer to raster.

➁ Now I apply a small Gaussian blur to it.

➂ Then a subtle motion blur effect.

➃ I apply a radial blur effect, focusing on it being very present on the edges.

➄ I then create a gradient map, which I invert.

➅ Lastly, I duplicate the letters layer, to which I apply the wave effect and put the layer in overlay mode.

- LIQUIDATE -

The liquify tool allows us to distort an image; it is normally used to correct errors in illustrations, but in this case it will be to give a chaotic effect. This tool is found in the tools window, its icon is that of a mesh.

 

➀ Convert the layer to raster.

➁ Use the liquify tool on the text. This tool has different distort settings, these are found in the layer properties window.

- VINTAGE -

This vintage effect is simple.

 

➀ Layer in raster.

➁ Gaussian blur filter, at a low level.

➂ We duplicate the layer.

➃ Radial motion filter on the new layer, in this case we will move the cross to the top of the text, thus ensuring that the blur is found to a greater extent in the lower area.

➄ Combine the two layers

➅ Apply a noise effect. This function is located in: Filter > Effect > Noise.

➆ Lastly, apply a texture which I put in overlay mode and lower the opacity.

- BROKEN GLASS -

For the broken glass effect you have to do the following:

 

➀ Convert the layer to raster.

➁ With the selection tool, with the add mode activated (found in the layer properties window, in the section: Selection mode) mark selections in a triangular shape.

➂ I cut and paste on a new layer.

➃ Now, section by section, I separate each part of the text.

 

Note: The more small cuts, the better the effect will look.

- CUT WITH SHADOW -

➀ Just like the previous method, I will cut the layer into three parts. Each section on a separate layer.

➁ I will separate the upper and lower parts by a certain amount from the center. I will move the upper area a little to the right and the lower area to the left.

➂ Now I will go to the gradient tool and choose: Manga Gradient. This mode has two colors, black and transparency, but in the tool property window you can edit the color.

➃ I will apply the gradient diagonally in the middle and final section (if it doesn't look good you can always adjust it with the transform tool). I will try not to completely obscure the letters. So that the gradient is only limited to the letters, you will have to adjust to the bottom layer the gradient layer with respect to the layer of the desired section. Ready.

- PLOT -

In the layer properties window we find the “Raster” option. With it we can apply a raster to the letters.

 

➀ First we will convert the layer to raster.

➁ We will select the plot icon.

➂ To change the color of the pattern, which by default becomes grayscale, you must click on the “Layer Color” option found in the same section as the plot section. There the option to choose the color will be activated.

➃ In the plot settings we determine the frequency of the pattern with the “Frequency” bar, with “Point settings” you can change the shape of the figure (there are many options) and with “ Use brightness color” the figures will become transparencies, otherwise they would be white.

 

These patterns can also be applied to letters to which a blur has been applied, the result is like the one seen in the letters on the right.

4. Example of an illustration as a film poster

Following the prototype of the science fiction poster that I showed previously and because I really like the infinity of the universe, I decided to make a poster with this theme. The style of the poster is minimalist, with thin text and a chromatic aberration effect; All this resulted in:

 

Title: Milky Way.

 

A scientific team embarks on an expedition to the ends of the Milky Way. Their mission is to unravel the enigma surrounding a planet, whose flickering flash sends signals to the heart of the galaxy.

I also made other examples with other typographic compositions.

To this other composition I added an astronaut orbiting the immensity of the cosmos.

- TIMELAPSE -

Here I have another example. I took an old illustration I did about a creature of the deep, which I cropped a little to fit better with the dimensions of the canvas. Then I placed the typography. The result is as follows:

 

Title: Monster of the depth.

 

>There was talk of a terrifying creature, which instilled fear in everyone who ventured near its domain. With shiny scales that reflected the light of the depths and long tentacles that slithered sinisterly, the legend of this sea creature had frightened sailors for generations. One day, an expedition decided to investigate the mysteries of the abyss and came face to face with the creature.

 

 

Lastly, this poster with a singer and actress, with this poster, tried to convey a feeling of action.

 

Title: Full moon.

 

Trained in the arts of espionage and action, our actress was taken backstage at a major festival, where a network of terrorists were planning to carry out an attack. Under his covert identity, he infiltrated the heart of the event, displaying his skills both on and off stage.

Farewell

I hope that what you see in this tutorial is helpful to you. I'm still learning, but despite that, I want to be able to share something new with you that will also help you.

 

It would be a great help if you shared it and gave me one, I like one. Thank you for coming this far! We won't see you another time!

 

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