Beginner's Guide to True Insanity
Description
The creation of the album cover for "Beginner's Guide to True Insanity" was a collaborative and creative journey spanning several months. Working closely with the client, we collaborated on this project to develop an album cover that would capture the eclectic and intense essence of their music for their new album release.
Role
Lead Graphic Designer
Active
2021
Album Cover Design | Drawing | Adobe Photoshop | Marketing
The Problem
How to visually capture and convey the eclectic and intense essence of the album's music in a way that resonates with the audience and aligns with my client's artistic vision of what the album represents.
The Goals
Draft a design with visuals that speak to the overall themes of the album (Including stardom and collapse)
Create additional media that effectively highlights the soul of the project in a unique way
Research
Inspiration
In the creation of the album cover for "Beginner's Guide to True Insanity," a significant focus was placed on exploring and integrating the pop-art aesthetic. We both discovered that there was a strong attachment to the visual work of artists such as Basquiat and Warhol. Therefore, these artists served as an everlasting inspiration throughout the process.
Sketches
Once the vision for the album cover was clearly defined, I took the lead in sketching concepts to bring our ideas to life. From the start, I identified the inclusion of a rockstar figure as a central element to symbolize the album's narrative. Through numerous drafts and detailed discussions, I guided the client through the creative process, synthesizing elements from all the initial sketches.
Development
Once we established the visual concepts for the album cover, I proceeded to draft the official design for the album cover. I began with a rough sketch of the rockstar-esque character adorned with various symbolic elements. With this initial image as our foundation, the client and I engaged in a collaborative process, iterating on what was effective and identifying areas for refinement.
Through a rigorous process of trial and error, incorporating feedback, and making many adjustments, we ultimately arrived at the final, conclusive image.
v1
v2
v3
v4
Outcome
Final Design
After weeks of planning and collaboration, the client and I finalized the design for the album cover. The final artwork incorporates all the previously established visual elements, complemented by the addition of a baroque frame. This enhancement was introduced to further amplify the grandeur and elaborate nature of the album's narrative.
Promotional Materials
Once the album cover was officially finished, the client and I then began discussing ideas to create additional promotional materials to supplement the release of the album. After taking inspiration from another band, the client selected phrases and lyrics from the album, to which I then created visuals working in congruence with the lyrics.
