Artwork and development for CD

After working on the wallpaper and edited designs, I decided on using a few of these various styles to create a look for my packaging and artwork, trying to give these two a harmonious look. Through the wallpaper tutorials, I've decided that I like the look of the grunge wallpaper the best, as the blackened style contrasts to the rainbow colours nicely adding a space-like atmosphere. Though most of these images are mostly Photo shop created, I've still been look for ways to incorporate my handmade work, my photos and my Photo shop wallpapers. 

Abstract brush experiment

Aurora wallpaper effect

Edited photo of keyboard

Grunge edition of Bokeh effect

Grunge abstract experiment

Created Smoke 

Smoke made by brush tools

StarKid text design with aurora background clipping mask

Glowing rainbow design

As link StarKid to being humorous and light but with dark sides as well, I'd like to do some cartoons for the booklet as well. StarKid has always had a cartoon feel to their plays, especially in their musical: 'Holy Musical B@man!'

Vector Wallpapers

Here is my simple pattern wallpaper I made in Illustrator. It is fairly straight forward and requires the align tool to keep all the shapes in the right column and row. This wallpaper is the most in touch with the logo and the album theme, but I find the others more interesting to look at. 

 

This is a simple, elegant design made on Photoshop. Using the 'Edwardian Script', I created this pattern by coping my 'S' type, rotating it and aligning it altogether with a quick gradient.

 

Despite how complicated this beautiful design looks, it is very quick and easy to make. Create a gradient and change its blending mode to a jittering effect. Go over the top with colourful gradient, then paint over this with scattered brush. This design reminds me of downward flames, which I could use in my final CD package and link to rocketship fire, the theme of the album.

 

This is my own version of the bokeh effect, made by a circular brush painted over several layers on top of a rainbow gradient. It is simple and looks beautiful.

 

I tried to link each image to my album theme as much as possible. Although for this example I did use texture packs found on manang's free texture libary I should in future use my own textures to avoid copyright. I chose images of the sky to symbolise Space and metal and spanners for the idea of a spaceship. I blended these layers together and added my own logo with an embossed look. 

 

This time I used images that my father took and then I added this grunge effect. These pictures of the coast at Stoer in Scotland, the full-moon rise behind the mountain range of Suilven in Scotland and the sunset at Whitby in Yorkshire, England. This effect gives a cool, grimey look to image, which gives an intense and dark mood, though this effect may not work as they are all lovely places! I chose these three images as they all contain the sky and one containing the moon, which has wonderful connotations to Space, the theme of the album.

Final Logo design

This will be my final logo design. It is an edited version of the previous 3D logo design I made, using elements of my vector design and a nod to the my stitching idea. I may want to tweak the size and maybe create the stitch effect using hand-made materials, however I am pleased with the overall design.

Photo-shoot for CD art

After looking at examples of CD packaging and art, we had to come up with our own unique idea for album art. Walking around the college, we picked up a few instruments, artwork, and landscape to link to our singers and bands.

When I took the photos, I was focused on recording equipment such as microphones as StarKid is known for going on tour and uses such devices.  I also took photos of some of the instruments me and my brother own, like the stools, guitars and amps which are linked to the instruments the musicians of StarKid use. I also tried to focus on Space-age imagery, like the tin-foil robot and the shiny sliding doors that remind me of the starship in StarKid's musical, 'Starship'. Finally, I waited until night to take pictures of the sky to symbolise Space. Unfortunately, I couldn't see any other appropriate imagery like the moon or the stars, but the clouds created a wonderful atmosphere.

 

The are extra images I found, taken by both me and my father. I took the photos of the sunset near our home and my fathers telescope, which I link to my album theme as it is to do with star gazing.

My dad took the rest: sunsets at Whitstable and Whitby, the moon rise behind Suilven, the coast at Stoer, the rainbow in East Barnby, the moon by the coast at Whitby and the sunset in Nefyn.