Album Cover Designs
Illustration, Typography, Visual Identity
This page showcases album cover designs using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I chose some of my two favorite artists, Kehlani and Vince Staples.
Kehlani: Sweet Sexy Savage
Visual Concept
Overview of the Music:
Kehlani’s music is very smooth and more specifically in her album, Sweet Sexy Savage, she’s got a lot to say on these songs, which are blunt, fearless, and vivacious. As an RnB artist, this album definitely shows her personality as well as her musicality that brings back previous era’s of the music industry.
Approach:
Kehlani has a very well known reputation in the RnB genre. Because of this, I didn’t feel it was necessary to illustrate a portrait of her. I wanted to use one feature of her face that would create a symbol for the album. By doing so, I decided to use her lips which represents her voice and what she has to say in her album. Everything she is singing in her songs is all coming through her lips. Instead of illustrating her lips as is, I added a melting effect to represent the struggles and experiences she has faced. This album also shows growth and continuity for the artist. The melting is like a symbol of moving on. In addition, using warm color tones such as red, orange, pink, and yellow brings out the sweetness and edginess of her. The background itself carries a whole theme of the album. Sweet Sexy Savage holds a lot of deep moments in Kehlani’s life, especially when talking about her love life. I added simplistic fire flames to represent her relationships in which have burned a mark in her life. Fire itself is a kind of energy that is clearly showcased throughout the album.
Vince Staples: Big Fish Theory
Visual Concept
Overview of Music:
Vince Staples made his name as a first-person documentarian, penning vivid narratives about the Long Beach gang life that loomed over his childhood summers. For second album Big Fish Theory, he moves from the past to the present, writing an open-hearted avant-garde dance record that takes stock of his current loves, victories, politics and – most noticeably – interest in the cutting edge of electronic music. (Rolling Stone)
Approach:
Because Vince Staples has very abstract sounds and tones in his music, I wanted to make the cover look like the sounds being introduced to give the viewers a feel of the vibe. Along with this approach, I also wanted to make the content feel bold and geometric because of the way Vince Staples presents himself in his songs. Vince Staples is a bold person and is not shy to say what is on his mind. In the album Big Fish Theory Staples mentions a lot about society and how rap impacts the overall community. Moreover, the electronic beats presented in this whole album give a futuristic perspective. Due to this, I made the front and back cover very swish like and “abstract” that wouldn’t be typically seen on your average music album cover. I wanted it to look fresh and unique. In the front of the cover is like a “pool” of water swishing down in a dark hole to represent a fish’s surrounding symbolizing the song “Big Fish” (the most popular song on the album).
