Painting a picture
When a person thinks about the CD they are listening to, their minds often draw associations to the cover art that adorns the front of the album. Most can call up images of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon or Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy for their unforgettable designs. With this in mind it is apparent how crucial a small time band's artwork can help attract attention and give off a professional feel.
As I prepare to record in January, the process of creating the artwork has been much more involved than I ever could have expected. Because the cost of hiring a designer to create a concept and see it through can be great, my band is relying on the drummer (who is studying to be a graphic artist) to come up with a workable design that can grace the front of our CD.
It turns out that the road to creating the artwork is a bumpy one. We have gone through three separate designs that have all made their way to the computer's trash bin. After we had produced each one of these drafts, it seemed like something was missing or we found that the final product just didn't turn out the way we had imagined it.
In addition, there were also struggles for creative control. Being as I am sort of considered the "band leader", the drummer relied on me to supply a concept and ideas for the images. The problem here was the communication of my ideas over the phone as he lives in Reno, Nevada. Each time he sent me new artwork, I found myself asking if he had understood what I said. It turns out that things that you think will look good end up being less than perfect when placed in a real format. Also many of my ideas shy away from the traditional graphic design rules that the drummer had been learning in college.
As I prepare to record in January, the process of creating the artwork has been much more involved than I ever could have expected. Because the cost of hiring a designer to create a concept and see it through can be great, my band is relying on the drummer (who is studying to be a graphic artist) to come up with a workable design that can grace the front of our CD.
It turns out that the road to creating the artwork is a bumpy one. We have gone through three separate designs that have all made their way to the computer's trash bin. After we had produced each one of these drafts, it seemed like something was missing or we found that the final product just didn't turn out the way we had imagined it.
In addition, there were also struggles for creative control. Being as I am sort of considered the "band leader", the drummer relied on me to supply a concept and ideas for the images. The problem here was the communication of my ideas over the phone as he lives in Reno, Nevada. Each time he sent me new artwork, I found myself asking if he had understood what I said. It turns out that things that you think will look good end up being less than perfect when placed in a real format. Also many of my ideas shy away from the traditional graphic design rules that the drummer had been learning in college.
A Possible Design
Ultimately I have learned that you probably aren't always going to get what you expect when you are not your own artist and are not utilizing a professional designer. This does not mean that the final product can't be visually stunning, but you have to realize that it may not be exactly what you expected.
posted by in2thegapagain85 at 11:36 AM
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