Making album artwork - your experiences?

[moonpie]

So, my band have decided to create our own artwork for our upcoming EP. We feel that rather than getting help from an artist outside of the band, we'd keep it 'in house' to make it more personal. So even if its crap, its still ours I guess!

Trying to find inspiration - we have some ideas for what we're looking for, but are pretty foggy on a style/aesthetic to use.

So just making a thread - NOT to source ideas, since thats ridiculous, but if anybody knew of books/articles/videos where they found some inspiration on a style. Or if any mini-revelations came to you approaching it.

I guess, Im trying to figure out the aspects thatll serve at least a talking points to start creating ideas. Right now - it seems way too open, since music has been the focus for so long, we've never engaged in the visual side. The major skill among the band (if major is the right word) is photography. So even that bit of technical skill helps narrow down what to do and try get something approaching decent out of it.

[Angstrom]

Is this going to print?
As in CD booklets, trays, etc. if so ... for the love of god talk to a professional. You can't just knock up an rgb bitmap in photoshop and have it look how you thought it would. It will be blurry off-hued and amateurish looking.

[moonpie]

Ha, no. Just soundcloud and net stuff. Anyways, we're actually enlisting the help of a graphic designer/multimedia tech for the band logo, possibly post processing and oversight/advice to make sure we dont screw it up too much!

I remember a friend who once sent off band artwork for their album for print, and there was a big mix up in the various shades of black. :/ yeah, dont want that to happen.

Have you any experience getting artwork made by a third party - what it was like, what you talked about etc?

[artpunk]

I've provided artwork for a couple of online albums. These used my photographs with appropriate typeface.
What I suggest you do as a band is brainstorm exactly what it is you want to represent yourselves and the music.
Do you want:
Something that seems right for this particular body of music you have created?
Photographic or graphic art?
Once you've worked out the above, then think about if you want abstract, impressionist, realistic, hyperrealistic or surrealistic style for example?
As for inspiration, inspiration is everywhere!

[SuburbanThug]

Just pick the best photo out of all of 'em whether it relates to your music or not. Like people even pay attention to that stuff anymore...

[artpunk]

Just pick the best photo out of all of 'em whether it relates to your music or not. Like people even pay attention to that stuff anymore...

I hope that's not completely true in all cases, but perhaps it is ...and this is where I find the modern method of distributing music kind of sad. I LOVED album artwork, reading liner notes etc... but I'm really old
You could find out a lot of interesting information on some of those old fashioned album covers, and on others there was just complete tripe! But there's something about physically holding that art and info in your hands...

[SuburbanThug]

I know. I miss it. I need to get my wax collection going again.

[moonpie]

I've provided artwork for a couple of online albums. These used my photographs with appropriate typeface.
What I suggest you do as a band is brainstorm exactly what it is you want to represent yourselves and the music.
Do you want:
Something that seems right for this particular body of music you have created?
Photographic or graphic art?
Once you've worked out the above, then think about if you want abstract, impressionist, realistic, hyperrealistic or surrealistic style for example?
As for inspiration, inspiration is everywhere!

Hi, thanks, your post was really helpful and helped move the discussion along, rather than being overwhelmed simply listing things we cant do!

[gjm]

Probably not that helpful but lynda.com have a tutorial called ‘Designing a CD cover’. http://www.lynda.com/Illustrator-CS4-tu ... 855-2.html

[JuanSOLO]

...Like people even pay attention to that stuff anymore...

I most definitely pay attention, and when it's worth paying attention too it enhances the entire package which is the music, the members, the style, the ideas, the point. When the entire package is there I tend to like it better. I'd say most of my friends that are music fans, care about that, quite a bit.

artpunk already laid out some basic priority tasks, establishing what might represent your band/music visually should be high priority.
What are you guys about?
Chicks, Drugs, Apathy, Optimism, 80's Sci Fi, Guns, Fast Cars, Computers, Tree Hugging, Clog Dancing, Volleyball, Skateboarding, Knitting Clubs, geting Old?
What brought you together as a band?
What keeps you going?

After you answer lots of questions like that, type them in a google search followed by the word art or blog, then you'll see whats inspiring others which may generate ideas.

If all else fails, go take mushrooms together outside away from society, at night. It's not original, but it's almost a sure shot.
If that fails, pray to zeitgeist energy to offer you the latest and greatest in inspiration.
Or, just wait for someone in the band to get dumped, and ask that member to make some art a couple days after.

a good band photo is usually interesting.

[artpunk]

...If all else fails, go take mushrooms together outside away from society, at night. It's not original, but it's almost a sure shot...

Careful with that one, I just triaged a young person tonight who had been throwing up for the last 12hours after consuming some gold tops (psilosybe cubensis) last night, she might have gotten a bit unlucky and had some bad mushies mixed in, but she was lucky in that she only had some vomiting. If you pick the wrong mushroom it can kill you. Just a friendly reminder from your resident ED nurse... I'm not trying to be a fun-sucker, just be very careful & know what you're doing/picking/imbibing!

[SuburbanThug]

Learn to quote mofos! I don't recommend eating shrooms at all but if you're going to do it, do it at home, lying in bed, with the lights off, under your covers, with your eyes closed. That's how you get that psychedelic healing, baby.

[JuanSOLO]

grow your own.

I hardly feel like I am recommending it any more than our predecessors.
Anyways it was part joke part truth, you cant give people common sense.

[patrick.olson86]

There's an option under preferences (command + comma). It's called create album art. Click on it and viola! It automatically decides whether you need it in RGB format for digi or if your going CMYK for print. It also maximizes your resolution so you don't need to know what you're doing. You can save it in any size you want and it'll keep it under 1MB. It also installs the latest creative suite without you even knowing it, so you save hundreds of dollars. I also heard it gives you a subscription to the new version of CS for like a year too.

It's based off of an algorithm that utilizes all your clip's colours and the theme you have Live set to. Actually, I think you have to go download a Max4Live preset to get this to work, search for "Go Fuck Yourself".

[artpunk]

Learn to quote mofos! I don't recommend eating shrooms at all but if you're going to do it, do it at home, lying in bed, with the lights off, under your covers, with your eyes closed. That's how you get that psychedelic healing, baby.

Sorry SuburbanThug, I thought I had removed your quote thingy...tired after dealing with sick people all night I guess... Have edited it to reflect online 'reality'

grow your own.
I hardly feel like I am recommending it any more than our predecessors.
Anyways it was part joke part truth, you cant give people common sense.

No-one needs to feel precious about the mushrooms thang -I am just cautioning people. You can educate people and from that they might develop some common sense, hopefully...
Regarding psychedelics, hell, in reality I see far more damage from legal drugs such as alcohol & tobacco, every single day...