Introduction

Hello! Welcome. On this occasion, we will learn some concepts for creating movie posters. We will also discuss typography, as good typography helps us convey a clear and coherent message consistent with the overall style of the poster. I hope these tips help you transform your illustrations into beautiful cinematic posters.

 

Without further ado… Let's begin!!

1. File Setup

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

 

- DIMENSIONS -

 

Movie posters generally follow a vertical style. In this regard, A paper sizes are used. Among these formats we have:

 

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

• A0: A versatile size for these types of purposes. Its measurements are: 841 x 1189 mm.

- FILE CONFIGURATION -

If these are files to be printed, certain technical aspects such as color profile, dimensions, margins, etc., must be considered. We will not focus on this at the moment, but if you wish to learn more, I recommend visiting printing tutorials found in the CLIP STUDIO TIPS community.

 

For posters, I advise using a bleed. For this, we will use the Comic format (the third in: Work type).

 

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

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

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

Finally, we have three important options.

 

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

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

➂ For expression color, we have two: Color and Monochrome. One allows the use of colors, and the other does not.

2. Composition

Cinematic posters function to capture the viewer's attention by communicating the tone and essence of the film. They should captivate and spark the desire to attend the screening. This type of poster must follow two important communication fundamentals:

 

• Reference the film's plot.

• Convey the feelings it evokes or the atmosphere in which the narrative unfolds.

 

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

(A) The Text

Generally, posters usually contain: Title, main actors, the director, and the release date. Some others feature reviews and company logos or awards won.

 

- HIERARCHY -

 

It is used to guide the viewer's gaze, moving from the most striking to the least prominent, showing the viewer where to start and where to go; in the striking elements, we can find large and decorated letters, in bold or underlined, while for the rest, a flat and continuous style, not so large, taking a secondary role when observing the text.

 

The title must be provocative, which is why it should have a large font size. Which one looks better? The one on the left, undoubtedly.

-POSITION -

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

 

Similarly, we can place part of the title behind an element, at an angle, in a semicircular or circular shape.

- TYPOGRAPHY -

The title should stand out by all means, which is why we can also add textures or decorations to help it pop, but always maintaining consistency with the other design elements.

Another element we can use to give cohesion with the atmosphere would be to use decorative typefaces. There are endless typefaces we can download from the internet. But don't forget to carefully read the usage licenses.

 

I will explain the process for installing fonts in CLIP STUDIO PAINT later.

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(B) Color

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

 

Colors can be classified into cool and warm, this classification is based on color psychology according to what they convey to people. The reason they are known by these names is because they are visually associated with low or high temperatures. They are usually represented as a division by half of the color wheel.

 

Some meanings of colors vary according to culture, so it is essential to consider the target audience.

- WARM COLORS -

 

These colors convey sensations of high temperatures. Warm colors are those ranging from red to yellow. These colors transmit to the viewer feelings of enthusiasm, passion, joy, love, energy, warmth, etc. They can also represent a time of year, for example, autumn.

- COOL COLORS -

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

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(C) The Illustration

The illustration should reflect the story's environment using narrative resources such as color or the dynamism of the presented elements.

 

• COMPOSITION

 

There are different forms of composition we can use to make our illustrations more visually appealing. There are several, including: Rule of Thirds, Triangular, Golden Ratio, etc. Each method aims to establish points where it is more pleasant to place the focal point.

• CLASSIC ELEMENTS

 

One of the characteristics of this type of poster is that similar elements have been used for each genre over time. It is simple to identify the genre of a film just by looking at these characteristics, and this, far from being a bad thing, allows us to target the audience with great effectiveness.

 

- ROMANTIC -

 

These designs are jovial, with pastel colors, smiling characters, looking at each other or in opposition. 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 dizzying 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.

- HORROR -

As in the previous one, we have black, red, or dark colors combined with bloody elements. Another element can be ghostly figures. White texts to achieve contrasts 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, modern technologies, etc., as in classic films.

3. Typography

Let's start by learning the basic editing characteristics of the text tool. In this tutorial, we will cover how to create different typography styles, so we won't pay too much attention to the full details of the tool's functionality. If you want to know everything about it, I'll leave a tutorial below where I discuss the settings in more detail.

 

 

(A) Text Tool

This tool can be found in the tool palette (icon with the letter “A”) or by using the keyboard shortcut “T”. All configurations can be found in the Tool Property window.

- SIZE AND FONT -

In this section, the different typefaces will appear, and we can adjust their size. For size and fonts, we can select a word, letter, or the entire phrase, so different size and font configurations can be had within the same text box.

- ADD FONTS -

When expanding the font list, we will find the option at the end: Add font. Here, as its name indicates, new fonts are added. To do this, click on the option, the file search window will open where we will choose the ZIP/ RAR/ TTF/ OTF package containing our typeface, then click OK.

A message will appear allowing us to save it to the cloud. If it seems convenient, accept; otherwise, just click close. And voilà, we have a new font.

- STYLE -

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

- SPACING -

The spacing corresponds to the separation between letters or characters. Letters that are too close or too far apart make reading difficult, but these two characteristics are useful for giving dynamism to the text, giving it a fresh feel. To edit these characteristics in CLIP STUDIO PAINT, you need to do the following:

 

➀ We must go to “Sub Tool Detail”, which will be visible by clicking on the wrench icon located in 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 typefaces are beautiful on their own, but sometimes they don't fit perfectly when sharing space with an illustration. That's why they are often textured to match the illustration's theme or simply to make them stand out.

 

- SPLASH -

 

➀ We will create text that we will convert into a raster layer. To do this, right-click on the layer and choose the “Rasterize” option from the menu that appears.

 

Note: Text layers cannot be edited or drawn on.

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

 

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 characteristics and opacity modulation to create textures.

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

- PATTERNS -

➀ Once again, we create a text layer, but it is not necessary to rasterize it.

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

➂ Click on “Clip to Layer Below”, an icon with two squares found in the layer function panel. This makes the pattern only visible on what is painted on the layer below.

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 we place above the text.

- GENERAL TEXTURE -

To add a general texture to all typography, we will do the following:

 

➀ We will convert the layer to raster.

➁ Select the layer, then turn on the “Lock transparent pixels” function found in the layer panel of the layer window.

➂ Using the selection tool, we will select the text.

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

➄ With the letters in white, we will paint over them with any textured brush we like and, of course, with a color different from white. Done.

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(C) Gradients

SIMPLE GRADIENTS: These are found in the toolbar. They are easy to edit, can be applied in any direction, and do not require a base color.

GRADIENT MAPS: These can be found at the following path: Layer (L) > New Correction Layer (J) > Gradient Map.

 

They are more comprehensive, and more combinations can be downloaded from ASSETS, colors can be inverted, etc. Their peculiarity is that they need a base of several colors; this is because gradient maps replace existing colors with those of the gradient. Therefore, we need to have the letters painted with two or more shades to appreciate their effect.

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(D) Border

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

 

➀ We must go to “Sub Tool Detail”, by clicking on the wrench icon located in the bottom right.

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

➂ Here, you need to activate the “Border” option. The thickness is adjusted with the slider, and the color with the border color.

Note: If we don't want to keep opening this window, this function can be made visible in the tool properties window by clicking on the square located next to it; when an eye appears in this square, it means it is now visible.

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(E) Transformations

Not all texts have to be frontal; we can also adapt them to different spaces for various perspectives. Here I will address some transformations.

 

- PERSPECTIVE -

 

To place text in perspective, follow these steps:

 

➀ Convert the layer to raster.

➁ With the layer selected, go to: Edit > Transform > Free Transform, Perspective, Distort, or Skew. Now, move the nodes of the box in the direction of the desired perspective.

 

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

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

- MESH TRANSFORMATION -

Curving text or placing it in an unusual position is easy. With the layer selected, go to: Edit > Transform > Mesh Transformation.

 

A mesh with a series of nodes will appear; these nodes can be moved to the desired position.

 

Note: The layer must be rasterized.

- REFLECTION -

In Sub Tool Details, under the “Transform” section, other transformation options are found besides those already seen. With these, we can flip horizontally or vertically, change the rotation angle, etc.

To create a reflection, we will duplicate the layer. We will lower the opacity of this duplicate and tilt it to the side we prefer with the aforementioned tools. Then we will align this second layer so that the top part of the letters touches the bottom part of the letters of the first layer. Done, a reflection.

- CIRCULAR TEXT -

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

 

➀ Go to “Sub Tool Details”; once in the window, navigate to the “Circular Text” section.

➁ Activate “Circular Text”. With the other settings, we can adjust the radius, direction (clockwise and counter-clockwise), and uniform arrangement.

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(F) Effects

Here are some effects that can be applied to text with some other tools in the program.

 

- BLUR -

 

To create a blurry effect, do the following.

➀ Convert the layer to a raster layer.

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

➂ In the window, we have the intensity adjustment; choose the level you like best.

- MOTION BLUR -

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

- CHROMATIC ABERRATION -

The chromatic aberration effect gives the text a futuristic feel. Let's look at 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 intensity and angle adjustments. We can switch between two modes: radial and angular. One displaces the aberration in a circular way, while the other only in the direction indicated by the angle.

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(G) Distortion Filters

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

 

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

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

 

There are many filters, so I will only show those I consider important, but you can always experiment for yourselves. The process is simple; a window will appear with a series of sliders that allow you to adjust the settings.

 

- PANORAMA -

 

With this filter, we can achieve a haze effect.

- WAVES -

This is my favorite 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, select the area with the selection tool on the same letter layer and apply the filter.

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(H) Combined Effects

As a final 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.

➂ Then a subtle motion blur effect.

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

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

➅ Finally, I duplicate the letter layer, to which I apply the wave effect and set the layer to overlay mode.

- LIQUIFY -

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 tool window; its icon is a mesh.

 

➀ Convert the layer to raster.

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

- VINTAGE -

This vintage effect is simple.

 

➀ Raster layer.

➁ Gaussian blur filter, at a low level.

➂ Duplicate the layer.

➃ Radial motion blur filter on the new layer; in this case, we will move the cross to the top of the text, thus achieving that the blur is mostly in the lower area.

➄ Combine the two layers.

➅ Apply a noise effect. This function is found at: Filter > Effect > Noise.

➆ Finally, apply a texture which I set to overlay mode and lowered the opacity.

- BROKEN GLASS -

To create the broken glass effect, do the following:

 

➀ Convert the layer to raster.

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

➂ Cut and paste into a new layer.

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

 

Note: The smaller the cuts, the better the effect will look.

- CUT WITH SHADOW -

➀ As in 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 a certain amount from the center. I will move the upper area slightly 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 the color can be edited in the tool property window.

➃ I will apply the gradient diagonally to the middle and end sections (if it doesn't look good, it can always be adjusted with the transform tool). I will try not to completely darken the letters. For the gradient to be limited only to the letters, you will have to clip to layer below the gradient layer relative to the desired section's layer. Done.

- SCREEN TONE -

In the layer properties window, we find the “Screen Tone” option. With it, we can apply a screen tone to the letters.

 

➀ First, we will convert the layer to raster.

➁ We will select the screen tone icon.

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

➃ In the screen tone settings, we determine the pattern frequency with the “Frequency” slider, with “Dot Settings” the shape of the figure can be changed (there are many options), and with “Use brightness color” the figures will turn into transparencies, otherwise they would be white.

 

These screen tones can also be applied to letters that have had a blur applied to them; the result is like what is seen in the letters on the right.

4. Example of an Illustration as a Cinematic Poster

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

 

Title: Milky Way.

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

I also made other examples with different typographic compositions.

- TIMELAPSE -

Here's another example. I took an old illustration I made of a creature from the depths, which I cropped a bit to better fit the canvas dimensions. Then I placed the typography. The result is as follows:

 

Title: Monster of the Deep.

Tales spoke of a terrifying creature that instilled fear in all who ventured near its domains. With shimmering scales that reflected the light of the depths and long tentacles that slid ominously, the legend of this sea creature had terrified sailors for generations. One day, an expedition decided to investigate the mysteries of the abyss and came face to face with the creature.

 

 

Farewell

I hope what you've seen in this tutorial is helpful. I'm still learning, but despite that, I want to be able to share something new that also helps you.

 

It would be a great help if you share it and give me a like. Thank you for making it this far! See you another time!

 

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