“How much work you actually do varies, depending on the amount of projects you have. Corporate jobs don’t generally encourage real creativity they foster expertise in specialized compartments and are (in my experience) plagued with petty competition and bureaucracy.” “Answering to a board of directors, for example, is not for everyone. Along with a salary, you’d have all the benefits that come with being part of a corporation – as well as all the commitments and sacrifices a job like that requires.” “Or you can land a corporate job and have a potentially entirely different lifestyle. Your work is as expressive of you as you want it to be.” However, you make your own hours, create your own schedule, and generally live life on your own clock. It isn’t unusual to go from so-called ‘feast or famine,’ and it can be very unpredictable. In terms of the work lifestyle for Album Art Cover Designers, Kay says, “If you’re a freelance artist, it really varies. The smaller the band or more independent they are, the fewer people you tend to work with.”
Sometimes with Poster Artists, major labels, Production Managers, printers and Designers may be involved. “Album Cover Designers usually work with the artist directly, though it is not uncommon for the label or management to act as a liaison. Generally speaking, the longer a Designer works with a band, the more intuitive this step becomes. Ideally, this step does not require a lengthy process of back-and-forth. “From these, either an art direction is established or, via the band’s feedback, the Designer will amend and resubmit them or potentially submit a new round of ideas altogether.
Album wrapper series#
Once a basic direction is understood, the Designer spends a week or two developing a series of rough ideas to present to the band. “Sometimes the artist has a very developed idea of what they want created and other times there may be no concept or idea beyond an album title. (Kay also started his own record label, GSL (Gold Standard Laboratories), which ran for over a decade.) “The Album Cover Designer typically either meets with the artist to discuss their ideas concepts or else that information may be conveyed via the band’s label or management,” says Album Cover Designer Sonny Kay, who is known for his work creating memorable record covers for various artists. Sometimes creating art for merchandise such as t-shirts comes along with the job. The artist often develops a bond with the band(s) they work for, gaining their trust and often collaborating with them over long periods of time and multiple albums. An Album Cover Designer not only designs and/or illustrates the art that’s on an album cover but more often than not, does the entire layout, including the back cover, insert or booklet, lyric sheet, CD face print, etc.
0 kommentar(er)
