How to Select Images for Fantasy Landscapes
If I were commissioned to design a book cover or a poster, I would need to select images to fit a theme. Book covers, posters, and the like all are designed as composites – “collages” of type and images – intended to entice a viewer to read a book or to learn about an event. Other images, such as artistic collages, might focus on the theme like “sexuality” or “war” to pull various components together. And, still other composites are designed simply for impact or shock value, as the juxtaposition is geared to jar viewers’ senses (re: Surrealism, Dada).
The composite shown above doesn’t carry a theme, as I created it for this tutorial – one that will illustrate how to use several Photoshop CS2 tools, ordinary tools that will complete extraordinary tasks. Still, I want to choose photos for this image that contain interesting textures, perspectives, and contrasts to create a compelling visual composition. The photos that I chose for this article contain ideal conditions for extraction, because their outlines are clear, the lighting is interesting, and the details – for the most part – are fairly crisp.
Linda Goin carries an A.A. in graphic design, a B.F.A. in visual communications with a minor in business and marketing and an M.A. in American History with a minor in the Reformation. While the latter degree doesn't seem to fit with the first two educational experiences, Linda used her 25-year design expertise on archaeological digs and in the study of material culture. Now she uses her education and experiences in social media experiments.