Experimentation

This is a photoshop experiment I created of a rapper and I put faint images of a sports car and money to represent what he is striving towards and sees in the future.

Experimentation

This is another photoshop experiment I created where I made a ball of energy in front of a hand. I could incorporate this with some of my designs.

Experimentation

This is a photoshop experiment I did on the MMG Artist Rick Ross where I made him look like a robot cyborg underneath his face.

Andy Potts

The illustrator that has inspired me is Andy Potts. He is an 

illustrator based in London but originates from the west 

midlands. Since he graduated from Portsmouth with a BA 

Hons degree in illustration he has took up a career in the 

image making, graphic design, animation and art direction including a 7 year stint as lead designer at Abbey Road 

Studios. Over the last then years the illustration has taken up 

most of his life and he has worked a large number of projects 

with a number of clients in advertising, book covers and work 

for magazines and newspapers. 

Andy Potts uses hand made designs combined with digital 

designs which creates these interesting creative pieces. For 

my final outcomes I have I am going to be using hand made 

designs combined with digital designs which is linked to Andy 

Potts' work. The top image is base on London City which 

includes Landmarks and things you would see around 

London. I like the way he has overlapped the images and 

made it look crowded which reflects London as it is a crowded 

place. He has used Landmarks such as the London Eye and 

London Bridge which straight brings your mind to think of London.

Andy Potts has used the colours of the British Flag which are 

red, blue and white. This piece has inspired to use this 

technique for my own personal project.

The next image is based on the travelling around London as you can see people on bikes, the London Underground sign and also a Bike lane that forms into a heart. I admire the way Andy Potts has used silhouettes of people in different colours which also looks like they are coming out of the image. The piece looks very lively and exciting which makes it look like there is a lot going on in London and the artwork. The trees could represent London being an eco friendly environment and also bikes don't give off any bad fumes or pollution.

The colours are bright and eye catching in this image and they fade into each other which is a very interesting effect. This piece inspires me a lot and I will be basing my work around this technique and design.

Tim Marrs

This is the work by illustrator Tim Marrs. He is most recognised for his Nike Campaign and the work he he has produced for big companies such as Lucozade, Pepsi, Natwest and popular magazines. He bases his work around the technique of bringing together different images and overlaying them in a montage.

My first reaction when I saw the top piece of work was film and television. The man sitting in the chair in front of the tv appears to be brain dead from the way there is blood splattered beneath him and around him. The way all the images are surrounding the television could represent the media world coming to life and taking over the mans mind who is sitting down in the chair.

I like the creativity of this piece and the gritty look it has to it. I think he has used elements of stencilling and also over laying different images large and small. I admire the squares he has used overlapping each other which adds a technology kind of feel to it. Personally I like Tim Marrs work and the way he uses the techniques, I am considering experimenting with my own work using his techniques and styles.

The colours used are quite gritty but eye catching. Straight away the red caught my eye and the blood splattering which made me think about death and violence. The colours are quite dark and gritty which relates to the dark side of the television world.

The next image seems to be similar to the image above as they both are based on television and people. My first impression when I saw this piece was family and technology. The image could represent the way technology has developed over so many years as you can see from the iPad the boy is holding, the laptop, the xbox controller, the phone and the child holding the TV remote. The family are all dressed quite old fashionably which is a binary opposition of old and new. Usually many years ago families would all be together doing something but nowadays families have all of these new gadgets which makes them not really socialise together even though they are all sitting in the same room.

I like the techniques used in this piece I think the colours used are effective and grab your attention and the whole piece is sort of like a collage with writing and small images overlapping each other in the background. Tim Marrs is very good at using that technique and uses it very effectively.

Personal Project Brief

This is my personal project brief that I created based on my final idea.

Initial Ideas Mind Map

Mood Board

This is a Mood Board of current Music Artists that have created their own Clothing Labels.

http://www.acrossthefader.net/archives/12304

http://www.vibe.com/article/lil-wayne-hails-kanye-west-most-stylish-rapper

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=g+unit+clothing&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&client=safari&sa=N&tbo=d&rls=en&biw=1024&bih=619&tbm=isch&tbnid=qMV3JAUB_ZMmcM:&imgrefurl=http://www.myspace.com/gunitclothingco/photos/187284&docid=IllMxU5Ki6aqcM&imgurl=http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/19/40d18020d915b8ae0c438bdb93575314/l.jpg&w=576&h=733&ei=kR62UJmbDYmr0QWjsoHACQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=219&sig=117003640932039057299&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=119&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0,i:120&tx=73&ty=58

http://www.blastro.com/artists/artistpicture/pharrell_williams_artist_photo17.jpg.html

http://visionaryartistrymag.com/2011/05/rocawear-the-roc-life/

http://somedopeshit.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/totally-dope-tygas-new-clothing-line.html

Final Outcomes and Final Evaluation

These are my finished final Album cover, Album Booklet and CD. I am quite proud with my final outcome and what I have managed to achieve over the course of the assignment. I found it very fun and creative but professional and realistic. My aim was to create a fresh new album cover with a feel of wealth and stardom from the colours used and stars in the logo. My initial aim was to focus on the design more than the opening mechanism but in the end I chose to design something different and new, which is when I came up with pop up idea and made the CD pop up the middle. I pulled it off well and was very pleased with my progress.

I started off with just the logo in black and white as my first initial idea but wasn't satisfied so I came up with ways and techniques to adapt my original idea to make it more appealing and lively. I then added in some colour to the original idea which made it more bright but I still wanted that sleek professional look which is why I added in the background text over the front cover which is lyrics from one of the groups songs. I played around with this idea for while and then I finalised it which you can see in the top image. With the back cover I wanted to go with the same design but use an image instead of the logo. I used a photograph which I captured of a rapper and edited it on photoshop which I then used the same text effect with the lyrics and also played around with the gradient to get that interesting effect. I then finalised it as you can see from above.

I also created a booklet which consists of images of a rapper in different scenes with the same effect as the back cover. I thought this was a good idea as its eye catching and artistic. The front cover of the booklet is the song list. I didn't add the background text effect as it would of clashed with the song list. I then finalised the booklet and put it together as you can see from above.

With the inside of the case I didn't want to add any graphics or imagery because I wanted the main focus to be on the pop out mechanism. I added a gradient onto it to give it some colour and to match the rest of the album. To create the pop out mechanism I folded a sort of pyramid in the centre and cut two slots where the CD would slide into. It took me quite a few times and making quite a few prototypes to get the CD case to fit together perfectly but I completed it in the end and was very pleased with it. I also printed onto the CD so it could relate to the album artwork and also if the case gets lost you wouldn't have trouble knowing what CD it was.

I came across a number of problems during the making process of my final outcome. First the pop out mechanism kept on coming out of place and made the whole thing look tacky and messy. I adjusted the width of some of the sides and folded it in another way and it all came together perfectly which was a big relief. Another problem I came across was that the flap at the top covered some of the artwork. I altered it and cut part of it off so that it was like a small tab now which make it look neater and more revealing.

Overall this project was quite successful and I am pleased with my progress and my final outcomes. There is room for improvement on my range of skills I could maybe create something handmade rather than computerised next time. I am pleased with what I have achieved. I love the design I have used and wouldn't change any part of it and I now feel like I have gained more skills and knowledge to take me onto the next assignment.

Album Booklet

These are going to be the pages of my booklet which will be inside the Album case. The first page will be the song list and the others are images relating to the genre of music.

Final album covers

These are my final front and back covers for my album. They are both improvements from my previous designs.

Back of Album

This is the back cover of my Album. I photographed this in a music studio and then added some text on photoshop and changed around the shadows and gradient to give it this interesting effect. I added song lyrics as the text over the image.

Album Artwork development

These are two CD packaging design developments that I created on photoshop. I used the clipping mask technique and overlaid the photographs into the logo. I will be using this on my front cover.

Photographs

These are some photographs I captured of what I thought related to my artist. My aim was to make the scene feel urban and luxury as you can see from the money and electronics.

Logo

Logo

This is my logo that I created on illustrator. My aim was to make it look sleek, clean and simple. I used the stars to represent stardom and fame, also the colours I used 'Black and Gold' was for a specific reason. The black is to represent darkness and the ghetto that the artists have grown up in. The gold represents wealth and royalty.

Wallpaper Tutorial

This is a tutorial I created on photoshop. I used the oval and changed it into a paint brush which I then made patterns in different colours to create this interesting effect.

Packaging Sketches

CD Packaging Mind Map

This is a mind map I created of all the ideas and thoughts about my final packaging outcome.

Wallpaper Tutorial

This a tutorial I completed on changing the gradient around and making it multicoloured. I enjoyed this tutorial as it was straight forward and the look of it is amazing. I like the bright colours and the sparkles which make it look clean and elegant. I would consider using this technique for my album cover.

Final Logo Designs

These are my final three Logo Designs. I used the two stars as a symbol of success and fame for the artist. I made the colours of the stars different also to add some creativity to the Logo. My final logo I am going to use is the bottom logo. I picked this one over the rest as it looked the most sleek and serious. I used the colour gold to represent money and riches and the black to represent the dark life the artist had to get to where he is today.

Packaging Analysis

The first thing that came into my head when I saw this album was aliens and Ufos. I think the music will sound quite calm and mysterious like a Ufo itself. The album was released by Drug racer records in 1996, the band produce surf rock music. The target audience for this album would be rock fans from maybe 16 upwards. The people that listen to this genre of music are usually quite concealed and quiet even though rock is a loud and outgoing genre of music.

The imagery related to the album name as it consists of Ufos flying over a forest. I think that the pop out pieces to create a Ufo are very relevant and make the album more exciting and fun. The images used are faded which could indicate this is quite an old album, they also look slightly sketched also.

The colours used are quite faded and old fashioned, the album isn't bright which is relevant to the genre of music because surf rock is quite dim rather than other types of rock. The layout of this packaging is very different to normal album packages, this makes me view it in another light and see it as more exciting and fun.

Personally I like this this artwork a lot from the creativity that went into it and the way you can make a paper Ufo from the cut outs inside. This makes it more than just an average album. I would consider using this kind of technique in my designs to make it more fun and attractive for the target audience.

Packaging Analysis

My first reaction to this work was it looks fun and child like from the dolls house and little figures inside. I think the music would sound quite calm and catchy. The artwork was made by Jeff Harrison and the piece is called Vonnegut Dollshouse. The target audience could be indie rock fans who enjoy rock music but not the dark heavy kind of rock music.

The imagery plays a big part as it creates sort of a little story. The house represents the bands house and the little figures are of the people in the band. I think the house has a sort of indie rock theme to it from the interior of the house and also the colours used. I like the way the CD is at the centre of the house which represents it being the main part. It creates a humble and warming mood and also brings back some childhood memories.

The materials look like mainly card, the technique used is paper installation which is very effective and looks very unique. The colour used is quite basic, it mainly consists of different shades of brown which is usually the colour of house holds when indie rock was created and developed. This work is very effective in portraying that the music is the soul and main part of their house and it came into my head as soon as I looked at this piece.

Personally I like this work a lot from the creativity that went into it and how unique it looks. This has inspired me and I am considering on experimenting with paper installation to see what limitations it has and what I can get out of it.

Packaging Analysis

My first reaction to this work was old school hip hop and it reminded me of old school hip hop videos. I think the music will sound quite up beat and urban. This album was created by VH1 who are a music organisation. The target audience would be people that come from urban background and also street dancers. Hip Hop comes from the streets and the people that listen to it would also be from the streets as they can't relate to it.

The imagery on the front of the packaging is of a boom box which probably one of the main symbols of Hip Hop Music, the way it opens up as a big sheet of cardboard is also a massive symbol of Hip Hop culture as Hip Hop dancers would usually break dance on this kind of material with a Boom Box beside it. There are also images of people doing break dance moves which adds to the whole Hip Hop theme.

The material used looks like it is all cardboard which is totally relevant to the theme and genre. The symbolic references used like the Boom Box and cardboard surface reflect Hip Hop life many years ago. Also the album is called '50 greatest Hip Hop artists of all time' which means from years ago so the cardboard and Boom Box are perfectly relevant.

There are no colours used except for black and the brown cardboard colour. I find this effective because it lets you reflect on the old school days of Hip Hop and where the Music started and developed from. The work is very successful at portraying its message as the first thing I thought of was break dancing and Boom Boxes. The way everything opens up is like all of the CDs are concealed inside just like a Boom Box as all of the Music is stored inside. I like this artwork a lot because of the creativity that went into it and the way it reflects on old school Hip Hop. I think it will influence my designs on making them have a meaning behind them.

Packaging Analysis

My first reaction to this work was that it holds something inside thats concealed and confidential. It made me feel like it was more than just a album case and the music would be based on Rock and Roll. The reason for this is that the red, green and black and quite dark colours, the red usually symbolises danger and the black symbolises darkness, the green is a positive colour but is over powered in this situation.

The artist is called Jessamine Houdini and the genre of music she creates is Rock music. The target audience for this would be teenagers who are into rock maybe goths etc. The type of people that listen to rock music would be people who like loud head banging music. The imagery and text on the album cover relate to the music because the imagery and colours used are quite dark and gloomy which reflects rock music.

Jessamine Houdini refers to the famous magician Houdini by making the album look mysterious and also some elements of magic tricks from the lock on the side, this could represent that the contents inside need to be secured. The work is very successful in getting that message across as its the first thing that came into my head. Personally I like this artwork a lot because of the creativity and reference to the magician Houdini, I don't like rock music but I do like this album packaging.

Packaging MindMap

This is a mind map I created on all the techniques, colours, shapes and material I had in mind for my CD packaging. I brainstormed all the ideas that I came up with and that were relevant to my artist.

Brandmark symbols Experimentation

These are some random brand symbols I created on adobe illustrator out of different shapes merged together, cut out and separated.

The CD Packaging Project

This is the CD packaging brief, we are required to create a CD album for the artist that we have chosen. I have decided to create an album for the american rapper Rick Ross.

Still Life

This is a still life that I photographed which consisted of objects that related to music and also the genre of music that I chose. The headphones and CDs represent recording equipment when a rapper is in the studio they usually wear headphone, the CD represents the albums. The iPhone is a device which can store music and is a big music symbol.