Cover Art Concept

  • Thread starter Thread starter Somnium7
  • Start date Start date
I like it. Looks kinda blurry/grainy in the middle but I'm not sure if that's because it's a compressed image or if it just looks that way.

Still looks good though. How did you do the S in the middle?
 
Hhhhmmmm.....

I won't be too hard on you considering it's obvious that graphic design isn't your profession...or a hobby for that matter.

Taking your skill level into consideration, I would go with something a little more simple. You could take that S symbol you have there and center it on a black canvas. Make the symbol solid white...maybe emboss it some and add a satin shine to it. I think this would better serve you and look better at the same time.

Another thing to consider...you should be working in 300dpi and CMYK color for anything that will go to physical print. Shirts, CD's, etc. Download yourself a template from discmakers.com and go from there.
 
i think the idea is cool, it just needs some refining. what type of music do you play?
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
Hhhhmmmm.....

I won't be too hard on you considering it's obvious that graphic design isn't your profession...or a hobby for that matter.

Taking your skill level into consideration, I would go with something a little more simple.
Click to expand...

Like your website? Too bad your portfolio page doesn't have any nice examples I can learn from.

I'm sure glad my employers for the last decade didn't have as low an opinion of my abilities as you do. Otherwise I wouldn't have my wife and kids or my home studio in sunny Virginia Beach right now.

See some other examples of my terrible graphics...

somnium7.com/images/webmind-screenshot.jpg

somnium7.com/images/sunrise-screenshot.jpg

http://www.nsu.edu (current employer)

Notice something familiar in the 2nd one? Yup, I originated that logo for my old consulting business.

Now in answer to danny.guitar, I created the sunburst logo in Macromedia Freehand 10. It was really hard drawing those flames just right ...took a couple tries.

And for macluver. In the signature block of this posting you will see a link for my website and myspace profile. Visit either one and decide for yourself what kind of music i do. I'd just tell you, but then I'd have to kill you ;)
 
What size/dpi is the original? Was it designed so when printed it would be the right size?

I'm just curious because I've been wanting to try and design a couple CD covers just for fun, but want to make sure when printed they will be the right size.

Also, did you draw it in CMYK color format or convert it after?
 
It seems to fit with the music style, as far as I can tell. When I first saw the name "Somnium7" I either thought sci-fi crazy sounds... or rapper.

Yea, sorry - but everytime I see a single word with a number in it, I assume rapper - mainly due to the fact that a hoaky white rapper lives in the apartment above me, and (while I won't divulge his actual rapper or real name), he uses that very same layout: [number] [word] :D

And yea, as for the guy who bashed your design skills - owned.

I like the little audio player you have on yoru website, its pretty "nifty".
 
Somnium7 said:
Like your website? Too bad your portfolio page doesn't have any nice examples I can learn from.

I'm sure glad my employers for the last decade didn't have as low an opinion of my abilities as you do. Otherwise I wouldn't have my wife and kids or my home studio in sunny Virginia Beach right now.

See some other examples of my terrible graphics...

somnium7.com/images/webmind-screenshot.jpg

somnium7.com/images/sunrise-screenshot.jpg

http://www.nsu.edu (current employer)

Notice something familiar in the 2nd one? Yup, I originated that logo for my old consulting business.

Now in answer to danny.guitar, I created the sunburst logo in Macromedia Freehand 10. It was really hard drawing those flames just right ...took a couple tries.

And for macluver. In the signature block of this posting you will see a link for my website and myspace profile. Visit either one and decide for yourself what kind of music i do. I'd just tell you, but then I'd have to kill you ;)
Click to expand...

I really don't think he ment to insult you...

I know I don't mean to insult you but I agree 100%. (edit) maybe not 100% NEVER EVER EVER EMBOSS A LOGO EWWWWW

You have a good start but i think your main logo would look alot better with out the blur. (or at least change the opacity of the blur so it's a little less prominent.)

The grid on the top with the "sky" graphics seems out of place... mainly because of the lines separating the cover. Simply put, this looks more like a webpage template than a cd cover. Maybe there's a way you can blend the top into the black instead of using a hard line.

The overall look of the cd cover looks confused.. Looks like a few ideas just tossed in there without a real concept (i don't really know your music so i could be wrong)

The logo itself is great! simple clean.. I like it. As well as the type.. it works well.
 
Suppose the logo could have less of that flare goin on, upon second inspection.

Apart from that, maybe blend the gridded sky into the black that runs off into the horizon 'thar...
 
Somnium7 said:
Like your website? Too bad your portfolio page doesn't have any nice examples I can learn from.

I'm sure glad my employers for the last decade didn't have as low an opinion of my abilities as you do. Otherwise I wouldn't have my wife and kids or my home studio in sunny Virginia Beach right now.

See some other examples of my terrible graphics...

somnium7.com/images/webmind-screenshot.jpg

somnium7.com/images/sunrise-screenshot.jpg

http://www.nsu.edu (current employer)

Notice something familiar in the 2nd one? Yup, I originated that logo for my old consulting business.

Now in answer to danny.guitar, I created the sunburst logo in Macromedia Freehand 10. It was really hard drawing those flames just right ...took a couple tries.

And for macluver. In the signature block of this posting you will see a link for my website and myspace profile. Visit either one and decide for yourself what kind of music i do. I'd just tell you, but then I'd have to kill you ;)
Click to expand...
Eeb is right. I did not mean any insult by what I said. I was merely offering suggestions. You put your cover art concept on here for suggestions and that's what I gave you. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. There's no reason for you to knock what I'm doing at all...the "Like your website?" comment doesn't even make any sense. I've been doing graphics and web design for a while now. The website is fairly new and I don't have a portfolio built up yet. That does not, by any means, mean that I'm not any good. I've done plenty of work that is not geared toward my goal with that website. I've worked with full blown java programs to track time for major corporations in the U.S. I've worked with Oracle on their ERP stuff. I do ASP webpages all the time that enable executives to make decisions about their company (otherwise known as a dss, or Decision Support System). So?

And I never said I had a low opinion of your work. Your cover art concept didn't look like it COULD. I didn't have any thing else to go by in judging your abilities. Just one small graphic. Perhaps if you would have included some other stuff you had done, I would have said things differently. Something like, "Since I know you're capable of doing better, you should do something <insert suggestion here>". And your "home studio in sunny Virginia Beach" has no bearing on the quality of your work. I have a nice home, a wife, a dog, and a good paying day job. So what?

Let's not try to get so defensive and offend others in turn. We're all here for the same thing. To learn from one another.

As for the "do not emboss" comment made by eeb, a nice subtle emboss can work wonders on some graphics. I'm not talking a full blown nasty looking emboss with crazy peaks.

cusebassman said:
And yea, as for the guy who bashed your design skills - owned.
Click to expand...
And exactly where was I "owned"?
 
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hehe yeah subtle is always best.. i guess there's a time and place for everything.. but if you tell someone who isn't as graphics savy (not directed towards you somnium) they usually go overboard.. then the next step is they add some drop shadows and a few more photoshop filters!

hehe
 
eeb said:
hehe yeah subtle is always best.. i guess there's a time and place for everything.. but if you tell someone who isn't as graphics savy (not directed towards you somnium) they usually go overboard.. then the next step is they add some drop shadows and a few more photoshop filters!

hehe
Click to expand...
It's better that they experiment than have directions fed to them. :D
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
Hhhhmmmm.....

I won't be too hard on you considering it's obvious that graphic design isn't your profession...or a hobby for that matter.
Click to expand...

Somnium7 said:
Like your website? Too bad your portfolio page doesn't have any nice examples I can learn from.

I'm sure glad my employers for the last decade didn't have as low an opinion of my abilities as you do. Otherwise I wouldn't have my wife and kids or my home studio in sunny Virginia Beach right now.

See some other examples of my terrible graphics...
Click to expand...

You, my friend, got owned because you came in swingin for the fences, and he was all "Yo where's your content to back up the insults"

And then you were all "Pssh whateva I's just helpin"

Okay, admittedly, this thread got away from me. Point is, you did slam him kinda hard, with nothing of your own to back it up with.

His cover design does look more like a web theme than an album cover, I'll give ya that. The S is quite washed out, too. All things that can be worked on.

Good luck to all!
 
cusebassman said:
You, my friend, got owned because you came in swingin for the fences, and he was all "Yo where's your content to back up the insults"

And then you were all "Pssh whateva I's just helpin"

Okay, admittedly, this thread got away from me. Point is, you did slam him kinda hard, with nothing of your own to back it up with.

His cover design does look more like a web theme than an album cover, I'll give ya that. The S is quite washed out, too. All things that can be worked on.

Good luck to all!
Click to expand...
Owned, I was not.
 
sorry to go off topic here..

but what the hell is it with kids these days saying "owned" i know what it means.. but i still just don't get it.. bugs me
 
eeb said:
I really don't think he ment to insult you...
Click to expand...

Maybe but he certainly didn't come across as trying to help me either.

I know I don't mean to insult you but I agree 100%. (edit) maybe not 100% NEVER EVER EVER EMBOSS A LOGO EWWWWW
Click to expand...

I didn't use emboss. It's the "Photocopy" Filter.

You have a good start but i think your main logo would look alot better with out the blur. (or at least change the opacity of the blur so it's a little less prominent.)
Click to expand...

My monitor here at home isn't calibrated correctly. When I look at it with my monitor at work the blur is a bit excessive.

The grid on the top with the "sky" graphics seems out of place... mainly because of the lines separating the cover. Simply put, this looks more like a webpage template than a cd cover. Maybe there's a way you can blend the top into the black instead of using a hard line.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's hard for me to not do web graphics. Other feedback I've gotten from folks elsewhere is good for this top part. One musician wrote me to say it looked like a clip from a dream. I see what you mean about the line separation. I'll see what a blend looks like...

The overall look of the cd cover looks confused.. Looks like a few ideas just tossed in there without a real concept (i don't really know your music so i could be wrong)

The logo itself is great! simple clean.. I like it. As well as the type.. it works well.
Click to expand...

Thanks! The logo was some hard work for me, and I was suprised that it came out as well as it did. As for concept, there really wasn't one. I don't even have an actual concept for my music. I like to start out blank and see where my mind takes me most of the time. Having a clear cut concept is good for when I'm at work but with my own stuff I enjoy that whole stream of conciousness type thing.

I appreciate all the positive and helpful ideas from the rest of you guys/gals.
 
Myriad_Rocker said:
Owned, I was not.
Click to expand...

Fine fine, you were not, as those kids are saying, "owned".

I was using it sarcastically (because its one of those slang terms that bothers me too), but figured I'd push things a little further than maybe they should've gone. Ah well.

I think you just need to be a little less harsh - we're all here doing this as amateurs, or at least that's the idea I got from "home recording". But, I'm not going to start fighting with anybody on a damn forum, so let's be pals!

Looks like he's taking suggestions to heart anyway, so C'est la vie :)
 
hmmmmmm,,,,,

the thing looks pretty decent. the idea works, the layout works. just use your burn tool a bit to smooth out the graphic.

at first i wondered if it was on purpose. like...the graphic was suppose to look like it was behind a screen. which might be a cool thing to cut it into small squares, and then put a small highlight on each of the square corners.

i could do it quick...tomorrow...i'm not at my studio computer...
 
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