Me do the album art? Me?

scottfeldstein · #1 02-20-2013, 02:38 PM

Ok, so I was just feeling great about the fact that our new album of all covers is being sent for mastering tomorrow. Then the subject of art came up. I'm the guy who sort of knows Photoshop, so it fell to me. I got two pieces of stock photography out of the budget and now I'm trying to make it all work. Suggestions welcome!

Here's my draft of the cover and the inside cover. The blank page is mean to get some band info. Not really sure how that is going to work out, so it could change radically.

Here's the back of the CD. I'm pretty happy with how it's shaping up, although a friend suggested I actually write the track listing and photograph it. Not sure if I'm that ambitious.

The disc itself is vexing me. Here's the latest draft.

Finally, under the disc. Not sure if we need or have budget for that panel, but if we do, here's the draft:

scottfeldstein · #2 02-20-2013, 04:53 PM

C'mon, I know there's some visual creatives in this crowd. Be brutal! Make me cry! I don't care. I'm going to be staring at this album art for years to come, I'd rather have it be the best that it can be.

MatticusMania · #3 02-20-2013, 05:00 PM

Id love to give my 2¢ but whatever site you use to host your photos is blocked from my works network.

scottfeldstein · #4 02-20-2013, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Id love to give my 2¢ but whatever site you use to host your photos is blocked from my works network.

Rats. It's my own personal domain. Perhaps it'll work for people at home.

MRDOOM · #5 02-20-2013, 05:02 PM

Flip the image under the CD. The lettering on the pistol is backwards. Also consider replacing it with a 1911 as that's the more "classic" private eye gun.

scottfeldstein · #6 02-20-2013, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRDOOM

Flip the image under the CD. The lettering on the pistol is backwards. Also consider replacing it with a 1911 as that's the more "classic" private eye gun.

Yeah, that one stings. I had to troll flickr for images I could use commercially for free. Somehow this dude photographed his Beretta air pistol backward. Gun enthusiasts will freak on it, I'm sure. Perhaps I could get some sunglasses instead...

**mjac28** · #7 02-20-2013, 05:07 PM

I really like it but I would like the photo to be a picture of the entire band I can't make out what's happening in the current photo?

MatticusMania · #8 02-20-2013, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottfeldstein

Rats. It's my own personal domain. Perhaps it'll work for people at home.

If I have an opportunity to check TB from home, which is rare, I will do so.

scottfeldstein · #9 02-20-2013, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

I really like it but I would like the photo to be a picture of the entire band I can't make out what's happening in the current photo?

Good point. That's a still I took during a video shoot. It's our fedora'd singer with mic in hand. I black-and-whited the photo and blued her eye. I thought it was clever.

I was hoping for one image each of our trio on the inside cover to compensate. But I haven't got those figured out yet.

**mjac28** · #10 02-20-2013, 05:25 PM

She looks gorgeous I would pull the shot back so we can see more of her face maybe some red lipstick and the mic or I was thinking along these lines'

scottfeldstein · #11 02-20-2013, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

She looks gorgeous

You have no idea

Love the McCartney image! If I had something like that for the inside..whoa.

chuck norriss · #12 02-20-2013, 05:36 PM

You should use your avatar as the cover; it would be more interesting & original. the gun image as back cover, ditch the file folders. The songlist as back cover has no pay-off except for titles which can be layered over the gun image. In short, I wouldn't waste that real estate & I wouldn't bother with under-disc-image esp. if that's an additional cost.

I just watched your video. forget what I just said; incorporate your singer's eyes or mouth. That's it--a macro of her mouth eating chocolate or bacon on the front cover.

**mjac28** · #13 02-20-2013, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

You should use your avatar as the cover; it would be more interesting & original. the gun image as back cover, ditch the file folders. The songlist as back cover has no pay-off except for titles which can be layered over the gun image. In short, I wouldn't waste that real estate & I wouldn't bother with under-disc-image esp. if that's an additional cost.

I just watched your video. forget what I just said; incorporate your singer's eyes or mouth. That's it--a macro of her mouth eating chocolate or bacon on the front cover.

Now that's hot too I hate to say it but people want to see beauty.

Kmonk · #14 02-20-2013, 05:47 PM

Looks like something I have seen before but I can't remember where.

scottfeldstein · #15 02-20-2013, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

forget what I just said; incorporate your singer's eyes or mouth. That's it--a macro of her mouth eating chocolate or bacon on the front cover.

I know right! I'm gonna pass that suggestion right on to her.

callofcthulhu · #16 02-20-2013, 07:13 PM

Just came off of doing my bands album artwork myself. The terrible burden of being the only member with photoshop amirite?

Is that first picture supposed to be the album cover? I love the motif and the whole play on words around under cover and spies and stuff. But you need to make sure you're emphasizing what needs to be emphasized; right now I'm looking at a picture of an envelope with some writing and a picture on it. What you need me to be looking at is your band name and a pretty lady, and then maybe a minute later or after looking at the back/inside understand that it's a spy envelope. Something like this, dig?

Just a quick mockup to emphasize proportions. I would say the band name is still too small in this example, but you see what I'm getting at?

The back is probably my favorite, leaves lots of room for credits/copyright info. I would definitely advise AGAINST hand writing - it's more legible and professional as is.

More of a philosophical point here, but why the break in motif on the CD art itself? The graphic is clean and pleasant looking, but why not do it as a badge, or maybe a license to kill?

The under CD art is bad-ass for sure, I wouldn't change it, just erase the writing on barrel if it's distracting.

Again, I love the theme and the play on words, I'd say you're 90% there. When in doubt, just ask yourself what's the first thing the eye lands on in the picture - it better be the message you want that panel to be conveying, and it better look awesome.

TRyan5289 · #17 02-20-2013, 07:20 PM

I'll send you a pic of my pistol, it's gorgeous. =]

dangorange · #18 02-20-2013, 07:31 PM

per your friend's comments about the text on the back of the CD cover. I think they're reacting to that the text does not seem to integrate/live on the background image.

An easy way to help this is to play with the layer settings in photoshop. Make the text layer 'soft light' you'll probably want to dupe the layer until it's dark enough, this will let the background show through a bit. When that feels right, flatten the text layer and then add a tiny bit of blur, tiny, just to make it seem less crisp.

PM me if you have any questions.

Staredge · #19 02-20-2013, 07:42 PM

Short of the CD, I like it!!!! Definitely switch guns to a 1911, and I'd leave it under the CD unless you can't afford it. Then I'd switch it to the back cover.

scottfeldstein · #20 02-20-2013, 08:36 PM

Excellent and helpful comments, guys. Yes, i've been struggling trying to get the photo, the band name and the album name into a tighter square. I definitely feel that as well. TRyan, send me a high quality photo of the gun and I'll use it! Good call on the text on the back too--also something that occurred to me earlier today.