Back of CD cover

CD Front cover

This is the front cover of my CD, I am pleased with the final product as I feel that it sets the tone for the music. I think the visual effect of the girl standing on the slope reflects the slope of a mountain. The distortion of the image makes it look like she wouldn't be able to stand but the way the camera has been tilted give the effect that makes it look like she shouldn't be able to be standing upright.
The setting of this image was key that it was outside in a forest and on a slope, this surrounding that the picture has been taken in creates the tone that I was looking for. The combination of lighting, setting and camera angles. 

The way I did the spirits coming out of the girl was by using photoshop. Firstly I selected the brush tool and set the master diameter to 10px and the hardness to 0% 

I then unlocked the layer and added a layer mask.

I then zoomed in and used the bush tool to outline the girl accurately. The next step was then going back to the original background image and overlaying the image and then duplicating the image onto a separate layer, I then zoomed in so I could see the pixels and I cut arounde new layer onto the image. To give the effect of the spirit leaving the body I made it gradually get more and more  distant and less visible, I did this by duplicating the later and each time it got further away I lowered the opacity. 

CD cover design

Abbey road became one of the most famous streets after the Beatles used it as their album artwork. What many people don't realize about this album is the depth that it holds. 
"The cover photo of Abbey Road may perhaps have ignited the "Paul is dead" rumor, as it is said to be a funeral procession. Leading the procession is John wearing white, symbolizing the clergy. Ringo, dressed in black, is the undertaker. Paul, the corpse, is out of step with the other Beatles, he is barefoot and his eyes are closed. George, dressed in work clothes, is the gravedigger. Also, Paul is smoking a cigarette, also known as a "coffin nail". He is holding the cigarette in his right hand, even though the real Paul McCartney was left handed."

I didn't know this before I researched the album, many people don't know the thought that went into the creation of this album. To the naked eye it just looks like a simple picture of the bad walking along a road. The thing that makes this such a significant image is that there is a hidden meaning behind something that looks simple. The colors used in this image are black,grey green etc... not bright colors that stand out. This could interpret to the audience that the band are not trying to be different and to stand out from the crowd they are themselves and feel their music is good enough to have a simple artwork cover rather than bright eye catching colors.  

This Album artwork is coldplay (XYX)  The image just looks like a blue background with different colored shapes on it. Again this is another simple looking album artwork that hides an nostalgic statement. It can be viewed as a neat commentary on the death of the old record industry. The album's cover art is a combination of colours and blocks, which is a representation of the baudot code: This is an old code made before computers and telegraph transmissions.

The album contains twelve tracks and an additional hidden track, "Til Kingdom Come". 

The reason why I chose to annotate this album is because it looks like it should be simple but then if you wanted to know what it meant and you researched it you would realize that it had a significant meaning behind it. By doing this it is stepping outside of the box and creating something new rather than following the norms of what is seen on album artwork. 

This Artwork of example ( playing in the shadows ) 

bands use of branding with merchandise

 

Artists with a 'niche' brand

Many artists strive to be original and distinctive and it is important that any artist that wants to stand out has to create that impression as soon as they become known. For example Lady Gaga has always been known for her distinctive style. Some artists try to change as they become famous to stand out more such as Amy Winehouse, when she wasn't well known she didn't have a trade mark image she was herself but as she began to be famous her style changed to reflect her soulful music. Here is a video from 2003 before she had her trade mark image and she had just become famous. 

Here is a clip from .... when she was focused on creating a niche brand identity so that her music would reflect herself. Many artists struggle to do this but Amy Winehouse created herself  a brand that meant she stood out from the crowd and became an icon.

From this video you can see that she has completly changed her image by having many tattos, thick black eyeliner and a beehive hair style and black hair. Without this image Amy Winehouse may have not been the famous icon that we will always remember her as.