Music for vast canyons and rainy mountains
Custom artwork for the second album of my solo music project.
Role
Graphic design
Tools
DSLR, Lightroom, Photoshop, bitmap sorter, canvas print
DSLR, Lightroom, Photoshop, bitmap sorter, canvas print
Process
The concept sprang from a trip to Vancouver, BC, in 2017. The locations I visited and the photos I captured influenced my songs and later formed the basis for my artwork. My first draft started with a color-shifted photo taken from the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge.
Evolving the image
This image was fed through a bitmap sorter (larixk.nl/experiments/sort), producing an abstraction of the original photograph. I did this to evoke the feeling of churning water without resorting to a literal representation.
Next, I purchased a canvas print of the above image to hang on my office wall. I was satisfied and thought my work was accomplished, but seeing the texture of the canvas print inspired me. I could use this canvas texture to add a more organic feel to the final cover!
After photographing the canvas, I decided it would be unfortunate to crop the image to a square ratio. Instead, I created what you might call a "Polaroid" layout with supporting text to create vertical balance. My final epiphany was adding geographic coordinates relating to the album's theme. These coordinates reference four key mountains in the Cascades—Garibaldi, Baker, Rainier, and St. Helens. These mountains served as inspiration for several songs on the album.
Other artwork
I design original artwork for all my releases. I chose the most meaningful project for my portfolio, but there are many other examples I can point to.
Epoch: Ascending / 2024
Bound / 2023
Ashes & Echoes / 2023
Over Fences / 2021
Fading Light / 2020
Mountain Sounds / 2019
Shallow Dialects / 2016
Self portrait, double-exposure
