Responsive: Secret 7 - Imagine + At Last - Final Designs

Imagine - John Lennon

Designing a sleeve for this album was definitely the most difficult task so far. I found it so difficult to break out of the cliched idea of peace signs and doves and flowers. At first I had a few concepts that I was unsure about until I made them, and they were harder to convey than I thought. 

(Left) Based on the concept of 'ordinary people', going about their daily lives. I thought it would be quite a powerful and atmospheric image, yet when I tried adding the minor details to the houses, the image looked over complicated and lacking in quality. I really like the use of texture on the roof in the foreground though, which is something I intend to capitalise on.

(Right) This image was based around the  concept of the world having no people, therefore there would be no concept of time/time running out, hence the clock not having any hands. I don't think it's instantly recognisable as a clock which I think is a major design flaw in this experiment.

The concept for my final piece was based on the idea of imagining something, where I tried to convey imaginary things making it look dream like and faded. The composition is quite similar to some of my other sleeves, and I am using a silhouette again, but I think it's once again quite atmospheric. I don't think this piece is that effective though as the negative space and use of cold colours conveys quite a gloomy, sinister atmosphere which, in all fairness could be an interpretation of the track, but wasn't mine. 

At Last 

Again, this track was another one that triggered really vivid imagery in my mind that I just wanted to crack on with making it. When first hearing the song I instantly thought of golden sunlight glistening on water, quite a typical, romantic image but In my head it really fits with the song. My intention was to convey the golden/warmth of the sun on a clear day out at sea. I am really starting to notice that my compositions are often quite minimal, central and symmetrical, reflecting my interest in the work of Wes Anderson perhaps. I tried a few different versions of this image, one of a whale leaping out of the sea; however I found it too difficult to make the sunlight glistening in the water look effective, and decided to use this idea instead. I'm pleased with the execution and use of colour in this image, and think that the sky in the image is the most atmospheric I've ever made.