Apps are finally catching up to people’s imaginations, and people are starting to make some pretty wild sci-fi artwork right from their phones. Today we’re talking polyscapes. Polyscapes are beautiful meldings of geometric shapes with the natural wilderness that evoke all kinds of sci-fi imagery, like portals into other worlds or even interstellar artifacts like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Today, we’re going to show you 5 different approaches to creating polyscapes from your phone or tablet and you’ll see that amazing art doesn’t have to be a grind to come out looking great. We’re using the free photo editing app PicsArt, which is a brilliant all in one editor that has really figured out how to do sleak photo-editing with just a finger and screen.
You’ll pick up some awesome photo-editing hacks, and also get cool ideas on how to create polyscapes that tap into the twilight zone of your most beautiful and eerie sci-fi fantasies.
1. Upside Down Portals
The Add Photo feature gives you a lot of creative control, and if you use it right, you can make some convincing portals. One of the funnest tricks out there is to import a similar landscape and flip it on its head, leaving a negative space of sky between the two. That negative space creates a really seamless blend and creates a powerful gravity defying effect.
2. Blending Modes
When dropping a polygon into a landscape, you have the option of using different blending modes. Aside from tweaking transparency, you can have your polygon act as a distorting lens. The Color Burn blending mode makes anything behind your Polygon take on a harsh contrast, while Difference depicts the negative color tone of whatever is on the other side.
3. Giant Mirror
One of the simplest and most elegant polyscapes is to simply cut out a geometric shape from one landscape and drop it into a similar landscape. It can create a surreal illusion of an enormous glass mirror, but it takes a bit of finesse to get the desired effect. Complete the illusion by erasing your imported photo strategically to make it look like it’s disappearing behind parts of the foreground. Also, try mixing warm and cold color palettes to create a beautiful contrast
4. Easy and Elegant
One of the most headache free ways to create a beautiful polyscape is to check out the clipart library. Line up your polygon along so that it compliments your shot; open space is always prime real estate for a new visual element. This simple trick when done right can turn any landscape into a Pink Floyd album cover.
5. Frames and Designs
While a minimal approach tends to maximize effects, some well placed frames and designs can help bring your final image together. The PicsArt Draw tool lets you draw different shapes and overlay them with different blending modes. Simple shapes can tie your photo into the background beautifully.
Now that you’ve got some ideas and techniques, it’s your turn to create a sci-fi polyscape in your own backyard. Download the PicsArt app for free on Android, iOS or Windows Phone to take your mobile art into a higher dimension!