Final CD Design

This is my final CD booklet, in order. I had a lot of fun doing this!

M3 CP - CD Design (Part 1)

For this CD I mixed a eight songs that have an overarching theme of good times, partying, and being weird. My initial thought was to make a party sequence in the booklet, but I felt that just didn't speak to who I am really, so taking inspiration from that strange "90's" art I love, that Alice Donut, Primus and some cartoons (Ren and Stimpy, Beavis & Butthead, Squidbillies) often use, I chose to create a different image for each page that gives a nod to something from the music videos, song, or the band itself. Since I like to listen to a lot of different music, I thought it would be fun to have a lot of different things to look at in the booklet, but with the same artistic style connecting each.

The songs included are:
The Fruit That Ate Itself - Modest Mouse
The Denial Twist - The White Stripes
Dance Yrself Clean - LCD Soundsystem
Lounge (Closing Time) - Modest Mouse
Rise to the Skin - Alice Donut
Animal - Miike Snow
Badfish - Sublime
Tommy the Cat - Primus

Initial "Party Sequence" Idea

Video/Song inspo

Video/Song inspo

Rough sketch of pages 2 and 7. This is the general style idea I'm going for. 

Original cover and back cover ideas. I'm going to change the name to "Present Company" which is a lyric from the LCD Soundsystem song included in the mixed CD, and makes you think of all these weird drawings as your "present company" while listening to the CD.

M3 Discussion (Album Covers)

Tenacious D – Self-titled:

         This album cover uses the rule of thirds nicely, catching your eye with the wings and arms of “Satan” and moving your eyes down to little demons Kyle Gass and Jack Black, then onto the giant pentagram they’re standing in. The imagery is perfectly fitting (as any fan of the band will know) because Tenacious D claims to be “fueled by Satan.” It’s memorable because of the comic relief of the naked (out of shape) men covering up with their guitars while the devil hovers behind them.

Nirvana – Nevermind:

         This album is one of the most popular and iconic album covers of the nineties. It’s a beautiful underwater bright blue and features a naked swimming baby boy smack dab in the middle, swimming after a dollar hooked on fishing line (which some say is a jab at their record label.) Some controversy spread over the showing of the baby genitalia, but the shock value made for an eye-catching and memorable (and often recreated) image.

Chaplin the Musical – Broadway cast Recording:
     Chaplin the Musical’s recording album cover is brilliantly simple at first glance, yet complex when taking a closer look. Against the bright yellow background, the black images are sharp and clean. It features a stylized image of Chaplin’s face with filmstrips framing characters and movie cameras. Chaplin’s iconic comedic stance is silhouetted at the bottom, bringing your eyes to the text that reads “Chaplin” in which the letters are made to look like musical notes.

Charcuterie Business Card

Final Hudson Valley Inn Logos

These are the final versions of my Hudson Valley Inn logos. I took the hard outlines out of the preliminary sketch and kept the brushstrokes. For the restaurant and bar logos I decided to keep the same icon but change the color/style. I chose a charcuterie and a taproom because when I think upstate New York I think meats, cheeses, and beer!

Preliminary sketch for Hudson Valley Inn logo

This is a preliminary drawing for Hudson Valley Inn logo done in Adobe Sketch. I wanted the logo to let the viewer know that this will be a cozy mountain getaway by using the style sometimes found with camping signs. The logo includes the mountains, the valley, the river, and a sunset - all things relating to a hotel in the Hudson Valley region. I kept it simple by using three colors and thick black lines to create stylized symbols. I’m working on taking an abstract symbol from this and creating the logo with that, making it even more simple and original. 

M2 CP (Preliminary Work for Main Project)

My idea behind my sketches for the "Hudson Valley Inn" logo was to incorporate the obvious Hudson River and valleys that make this region so beautiful (and make up the name of the Inn). I was going for something more contemporary by using very stylized lines that emanate the mountains that create the valley. I think the icons can make very good and easy-to-read logos that can be placed on anything that needs to be branded.

M2 CP Exercise 2 (Illustrator Word Recreation)

Bow

M2 CP Exercise 1 (word illustrations)

Swing 

 Bow

Stitched