The original assignment was to create a paper sculpture. After finding inspiration from mythical creatures I settled on the Kraken. To construct the sculpture I cut each piece out with an x-acto blade taking time to shape the paper and layer it correctly. I also used a hole punch for the circles on the tentacles.

For the final digitally enhanced illustration, I first had to photograph the sculpture. Once I had the right image I began hand-selecting the parts of the sculpture I wanted to paint with the lasso tool. While painting I kept a consistent light source in mind. I then put blending modes on the colored layers so that the texture of the paper was not lost.

For the context piece, I found a company called Kraken Rum. After planning the layout and context for the ad I re-photographed the sculpture and began adding contrast by painting it in Photoshop once again. I did this to accommodate the layout of the ad as well as to keep the color scheme consistent with what the company had established, which was simply black and white.

This is one of my favorite projects I have worked on. Being able to start with a sculpture that I was proud of and bring it so much further was a very rewarding process.