CASE STUDY

From Brushstrokes to Beats: A Watercolour Journey in Album Artwork Creation


Haunted Like Human
, a fantastic Folk/Americana duo, requested a bespoke watercolour series to translate their nature-inspired music into a series of immersive album artwork that resonated with their existing branding.

Project
Design and illustrate a series of custom-made watercolour album cover illustrations for three singles and a final album.

Challenge
Translate the band's music into a cohesive visual narrative using nature-inspired and organic watercolours, while aligning with their existing branding aesthetic.

AT A GLANCE

Project: Custom watercolour album covers for a Folk/Americana duo's album and singles.

Goal: Translate nature-inspired music into immersive artwork aligned with existing branding.

Solution
Collaborative Brainstorming: Through in-depth discussions, we identified key elements like birds, trees, animal, water, and the moon that resonated with their music and branding.

  • Collaborative Brainstorming: Through in-depth discussions, we identified key elements like birds, trees, animals, water, and the moon that resonated with their music and branding.
  • Expressive Sketches: Several expressive sketches were generated for each cover, allowing for exploration of various visual directions and ensuring a perfect fit for each song's unique essence.
  • Watercolour Expertise: Leveraging my experience in hand-drawn album artwork and watercolour illustration, I precisely transferred the chosen concepts onto premium watercolour paper and began the painting process.

  • Distinct Colour Palettes: Each album cover features a distinct colour palette that reflects the individuality of the song. A sense of cohesiveness was maintained through the strategic use of paint drips and splashes across all covers, creating a visually unified set.

  • Minimalist Harmony: To achieve the desired nature-centric theme while embracing a minimalist aesthetic, a masterful balance between positive and negative space was employed. Broad brushstrokes were used to create impactful yet understated colour palettes, ensuring visual elegance.

Solution: Collaborative brainstorming, expressive sketches, distinct colour palettes with unifying elements, and minimalist watercolours for a nature-centric aesthetic.

Outcome:
 Stunning and cohesive album covers that capture the essence of the music and brand.

Outcome
A collection of stunning and immersive album artwork design pieces that perfectly capture the essence of Haunted Like Human's music and brand identity. Each piece stands alone as captivating album cover illustration, while collectively weaving a cohesive visual narrative that complements their music on a deeper level. These creative marketing illustrations not only enhance their album branding but also make a memorable visual impact that resonates with their audience.

Testimonial

"Ainsley was a joy to work with. She was super understanding and flexible when we needed to wait a minute before moving to the next task, and the work was exactly what we wanted. I would recommend her to anyone and I look forward to working with her in the future!"

- Haunted Like Human


 

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