funny image compositions
For the this project, I wanted to make something immediately recognizable and easy to understand, so I built my ideas around familiar characters. One composition showed Mario and Bowser in a chaotic chase scene. The other mixed characters from different shows into the same scene combined two different cartoon styles with a real-life setting. I created both pieces in Photoshop by removing backgrounds, combining images, and using clipping masks to make everything fit together naturally.
What I learned from this project was that humor can come from the clash between different worlds. Even with just a few images, it’s possible to create a clear joke or visual story that people can instantly read. This project also helped me get more comfortable with Photoshop and taught me how useful image blending can be when trying to make something funny.
multi-layered wood art
For the multi-layered art project, we were given the option to create a stacked wood piece, a lightbox, or ring art. I chose stacked wood art because it fit my worldbuilding concept best and gave me the most freedom in how I could represent it visually. Since our story is set in Chicago and centers around a mafia family, I decided to design a gun from the 1950s as my subject. I also added elements of the Chicago skyline and a bridge to connect the piece to the setting of our story.
I started with a rough sketch and then built the design in Adobe Illustrator by separating it into layers that could later be laser cut and assembled. This part of the project was challenging because it was hard to picture how each layer would look once stacked together. Even so, that challenge made the final result more rewarding. I’m proud that the finished piece not only looks strong visually, but also reflects the tone and atmosphere of our worldbuilding project.
