When it comes to making an album artwork, there aren’t several aspects to take into consideration. Album covers are much looser in comparison to an event poster, a flier, or an advertisement, all of which contain data in relevance to who, what, and where. The purpose of album covers is to encapsulate the sound and the soul of the music, which can prove to be an overwhelming task for any artist! In this blog post, we will cover a few tips and tricks for designing a vintage album cover. But before we delve into the techniques to design a vintage album cover, let’s explore the reasons for album artwork!
Significance of Album Covers
Album artwork is the ideal representation of a body of music. Akin to a book cover, it’s the first look of what’s the album resonates with. Whether audience members are flipping through vinyl’s or, more likely, going through a Spotify playlist, the album cover may well be the make-or-break minute for their choosing to tune in or not.
In case the artwork looks like an afterthought, it’s simpler for individuals to understand that the music has been created along the same lines. Understanding the significance of that artist’s design (particularly within the computerized age), ought to permit you to think of that album as a one-shot impression of that melodic body of work.
Listen to the Music
One of the most integral techniques to create a vintage album cover design is to absorb and understand the music. If the client doesn’t have a clear idea of what they need, ask them to let you tune in to the album. In my opinion, most genuine craftsmen will permit you to tune in to the album, though only if you do not share it with others.
Discover the theme present in the songs. Is it dark and emotional? Energetic and lively? Or is it raw and crude? The topic ought to give you a preview into the common theme you ought to be inclined towards. It is always better to know the product you’re working on before you dig in for the pitch. Also, look into the artist’s previous works to get a better idea of their tastes and preferences!
Use Photography from the Recording Artist
Does the artist have any photography that they need to utilize? If so, that’s an incredible beginning. From there, you’ll be able to do a number of things with it. You’ll be able to cut it out and make a collage. Or even make an outline from it. Otherwise, you may have trouble thinking it through. You’re restricted to utilize a particular set of apparatuses. Ask yourself and do your research about what you’ll be able to do to get the right photo and balance it out with the temperament.
Also, search for motivation in terms of how others have used photography on album covers. Did they crop it, change the colors, or include info? It’s great to look into various solutions to see what fits the theme of the album.
Adhere to Your Personal Style
Figure out a striking picture that may speak to the work, then decide how to convey the story. It doesn’t have to be too elaborate or require expensive material. So, utilize your apparatuses like custom photography, painting, illustration, and so on. That’s one of the main reasons for the artist trusting you to put a face to their music. So, believe your judgment. They need your take on it.
Basically, the artist wants you to treat it like some of your past work since they like what they have already seen. With the right amount of creativity, you can do what you do best. Though, make sure to use the artist’s body of work as inspiration.
Associate the Typography with the Music
Like always, a poor choice in typography can make a design seem cheap. You need to make the future audience see an image that looks refined, no matter how rudimentary or complicated the design is. If the cover is refined, they will assume the music behind it is as well.
Do your homework and look into what sorts of textual styles other individuals have utilized for vintage albums. Discover textual styles that are straightforward, however hold a pizazz for the album’s class. Try to be as authentic and refined as possible and do not copy other people’s work.
Plus, stay away from prevalent enriching textual styles. So, dig deeper and discover textual style fonts that are not normally utilized.
Easy Text Placement
When it comes to placement, I have always adhered to the minimalist technique. If it’s a complicated situation, you will need to form it bigger for better readability. In case it’s straightforward, make it small. Ideally, when a potential audience sees the design, they ought to understand it in less than a second. If it doesn’t make sense, make a few alterations.
There are some simple layouts to follow. You can have the artist’s name top center, and the album name centered as well at the bottom. Or you may place the artist’s name top with the album title in the bottom. The reason album covers use the latter approach is since most western languages read top to bottom and left to right.
Conclusion
To conclude, take your time to explore and conduct your research. Choose the right text styles and photos that resonate with the artist’s music. That way, you’ll be able to play around until you have got the ideal vintage album cover that represents the artist’s music. Do not hesitate to add your touch of creativity by exploring new techniques, though run the options past the artist first. You want to share strong thoughts with them, but you do not want to share anything you’re not 100% sure of. Believe your judgment so when you’re done and look at the cover, you can tell that the cover resonates with the music. If so, your work is done.
