How To Train Your Poster

ReImagining Saul Bass

Saul Bass was an artist who brought about a new age of designs with his posters, using minimal effects and colors to bring about the true meaning of a film. He had done posters such as the ones like Vertigo and Buried, as well as many more. Inspired by his artistic, original style, I decided to make my own poster. It just so happened to be one partaining to a story of friendship between a dragon and a Viking. It was How to Train Your Dragon.

The Idea Taking Flight

 Of course, there were to be trials and different designs that immediately sprang up when this project first blossomed. I had ideas to just have a fire made up of flying dragons with a single viking helmet within the hoard. But then I settled in on Toothless, one of the major icons of the franchise, wearing a viking helmet and staring ahead towards the viewer, his pupils the symbol from Hiccup's armor. I went forward enthusiastically, enjoying and creating different visual effects on Photoshop after scanning in my drawings. Yet I found problems with the design after word. Toothless's jawline was lost among the rest of his body, the Viking Helmet had too many colors, and the pupils detracted from the overall feel of the poster. So I scrapped the idea of just using his head and a viking helmet, and decided for a full body shot, minus his tail. There were too many, in my opinion, posters of just the tail. So I took away the tail. So I used the pen tool to create the body and the wings. I then colored the left ear, leg, and wing red, the color of the prosthetic of Toothless by the end of the movie. It symbolizes that even when you lose a vital part of yourself, there can be someone or something to help make you whole.
So using and manipulating the body and outlines I traced, the entire poster seem to pop. So all I needed was a text to announce which movie it was. So looking on http://www.1001freefonts.com, I discovered a very Viking-esque type font that seemed just as rugged as I could ever hope for. So I looked up the release date and the list of lead roles, I typed them in. It looked so contrasting with the black of Toothless's body. Happy and thrilled, I saved my final draft and am now proud to show off my Saul Bass Inspired poster.

Afterword

I do believe this is one of my best projects. I enjoyed the progress, yet I feel like I would change the type perhaps, with something I made. But I am really in love with this poster. I hope that Mr. Bass could be proud that I took inspiration from him! 'Til next time!

My Poster

Saul Bass's Poster