Secret 7 1.3

Visited HMV and Crash records because I wanted to see an array of different album art from old to new. 

Etta James

Came across two Etta James' 'Best Of' CD's and noticed that the covers were different even though the content was very similar. Etta James' 'At Last' is a track that features on Secret 7 this year so I can use this as an opportunity to inspire ideas for a potential cover:

Use of imagery puts a face to the name which makes Etta James as an artist more recognisable. This isn't appropriate for my brief because I am designing for a creative competition, rather than for a client. The large, narrow typeface gives the type presence and the typesetting keeps it all contained in a rectangle so the audience can clearly see the type from imagery. The colour scheme is warm due to the red which suggests a moody, almost sexual tone that reflects her music. Using purple makes 'Etta' stand out so that the audience can immediately recognise the name. 

Using photography is a concept that I may consider, especially for the childrens sorting toy and it's interesting to see how abstract I can make it. 

Interesting to see how the cover above has chosen 'At Last' as the focal point but I think this is appropriate because it is one of her most recognised and famous songs. This design is modern because it has simplified the imagery and text to give it a contemporary feel. I like how the iconic soul microphone reaches down to the figure to suggest singing and the style of music. 

e.s.t

This year, Monotype are supporting Secret 7 which encourages people to use type on their designs. The brief states I can't state the band name or song title but I can still choose lexis that relate to the song/composition. 

I picked up this CD because I like how the type is broken down into a digital glitch. I'm not familiar with the e.s.t however from looking at this cover I can imagine it to be an electronic sound or the music is unpredictable. 

Simcock, Garland and Sirkis

Very limited in content and a lot of white space is refreshing, especially against the cool blue. I like how expressive the line of ink/paint because it is suggestive. This is an example of how album art can be very ambiguous and contemporary. I would like to start using some hands on techniques such as painting to create interesting textures such as this.