Concept & Rationale
Musician Chen Hongyu crafted this folk music album in his 30s. It portrays the confusion and hesitation experienced by urban youth, with uncertain futures and complex relationships, yet maintains hope for an idealistic and poetic life. The musician employs numerous symbolic images like wild grass fields, snow-capped mountains, sunsets, and birds to depict the untamed wilderness of nature, aiming to alleviate the frustrations of young people. While his language is sophisticated and poetic, his tone remains plain and devoid of decoration, creating a striking contrast.
In my sketches, I explored many ideas in an attempt to capture the symbolism of the album, while others focused on the stories themselves. In the final design, I chose the layout featuring a grass field and sunset, which shows the mood of the album more directly.
Moodboard
Creating the mood board involved a few key considerations. Firstly, I want to capture a serene scene of an untouched grass field shrouded in distant fog, emphasizing smooth transitions and rich values. I aim to introduce unexpected elements to match the album's unconventional vibe, possibly through unique colors or imaginative touches. In terms of execution, I've chosen colored pencils to achieve the desired texture. For colors, I prioritized peacefulness while incorporating creativity, leaning towards dominant greens complemented by subtle oranges or reds.
Final Design
To create a tranquil image, the sky and grass are set in a balanced 1:1 proportion, divided by a straight line in the middle. Although red and green are complementary colors, the transitions are smooth to reduce contrast. The colors are desaturated, making them easy on the eyes. I sketched the images using colored pencils on textured paper to start, then refined them in Photoshop. The rich color tones and textures achieved through traditional techniques surpass what digital methods alone can provide. To enhance immersion and emphasize the illustrations, I positioned the text at the edges and desaturated its color to blend with the background. The tracklist was meticulously arranged to align with the title.
An interesting aspect of the process was when I initially drew the birds; they appeared too black. To address this, I cut them out, desaturated them, and then placed them back in the design. In the final version, the birds are small and blurred, achieving the subtle effect I wanted.
For the typography, I chose Categories Elegant, a typeface that strikes a balance between organic and modern aesthetics. The strokes mimic the movement of leaves, reinforcing the album's theme.
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The poster features the vinyl in a wild, natural setting with a couple lying in the grass, emphasizing the theme of immersion and serenity. The titles are subdued, following the direction of the vinyl to maintain a sense of continuity.
Summary
In this project, I honed my understanding and skills in color, texture, and layout. My drawing abilities added a unique touch to the design, expanding the range of tools and styles I can work with. Some compromises were made for visual appeal, such as using a non-black barcode, which may not adhere to standard rules. However, this project served as a valuable experiment in blending traditional and digital media.