In 2019, I was contacted by Shaquan Catlett, who had begun to create rap music under the name Shaq in the Post. He had an upcoming release that he needed cover artwork for, to be released to digital streaming platforms. I knew that I had to make the album cover design stand out among the crowded hip-hop landscape, which is saturated with covers full of references to money and street culture. Thankfully, with a title like In Another World, ideas for making a standout cover came easily. With concepts removed from the norm, I set out to make an album cover design that correlated to the album’s themes and vibe.
The Album Cover Design
For the cover of In Another World, I set out to turn the album’s title and overall vibe into an image. To achieve this, not only did I combine existing assets, I created many of my own. The planet featured at the center of the cover and its rings, as well as the comets, were drawn from scratch in Photoshop. The astronaut was built upon a stock image, with pieces like the reflection of the moon in his visor added on to the original image. Likewise, the space background is an original composition based on several stock images. All of these assets combine to create a piece that fits the spacey, otherworldly vibe Shaq in the Post set out to create.
The Motion Graphic
As I worked on the album cover design, another thought hit me: animation would come really naturally to the In Another World design. As such, I set out to make the planet, comets, and astronaut move. By importing the Photoshop file as a composition, I was able to animate each piece individually. I rendered the planet’s rings in 3D, creating perspective and depth with a skewed animation. With the rings of the planet spinning, the comets flying downward, and the astronaut bobbing forward, the animation depicts a scene of man staring out at unknown territory, fitting for an artist on their first release like Shaq in the Post. Motion graphics like these are useful in album promotion. Video drives engagement on social media, and can be used by a savvy artist or social media team to tease a release before the record drops.
The CD Packaging Design
In addition to this, I have mocked up a version of In Another World‘s artwork for CD packaging. Packaging design is an important aspect of a piece of physical music that often goes overlooked. Having good packaging design can give back to the fans who buy the album by giving them something special to hold and look at while they listen.
It’s always a pleasure to work with musicians, as music is a lifelong passion of mine. If you’re in need of graphic design for your music project, like a logo design, album artwork design, or promotional asset design for advertising or social media, contact us!
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