This is a commissioned work for Aaron Marshall. An illustration for his next album, Exodus. I invite you to listen to his dreamy, inspiring music on itunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/aaron-marshall/id213740830
When I started this project, Aaron gave me a few instructions on what he wanted.
The vision he had for this album was strongly influenced by the Japanese culture. He wanted me to create a sort of landscape where you could evade just as you would do with the music. Something imaginary and mystical, with a certain hidden storytelling of an ancient civilization that would only remain by ruins within the landscape
So I created a Japanese village, where we see some kind of mysterious hives, lots of fog, and this samurai head integrated to the mountain.
This is the first step :
When I started this project, Aaron gave me a few instructions on what he wanted.
The vision he had for this album was strongly influenced by the Japanese culture. He wanted me to create a sort of landscape where you could evade just as you would do with the music. Something imaginary and mystical, with a certain hidden storytelling of an ancient civilization that would only remain by ruins within the landscape
So I created a Japanese village, where we see some kind of mysterious hives, lots of fog, and this samurai head integrated to the mountain.
This is the first step :
Then rough painting for the atmosphere and the tones
This is the final version :
When creating an artwork, sometimes people expect you something precise and very specific. And sometimes surprises can come along the way and change everybody's idea.
After finishing the cover, Aaron send me his album.
One of the song was called "Initialize bloom". And you know, it's this time of song that gives you automatically images in your head. So I drew, and this is what came out of it :
After finishing the cover, Aaron send me his album.
One of the song was called "Initialize bloom". And you know, it's this time of song that gives you automatically images in your head. So I drew, and this is what came out of it :
And what happened is that we both were more convinced by this visual than the previous, despise the fact that it was completely different from the brief.
So I colorized it, searching different options :
So I colorized it, searching different options :
Aaron has his own designer for the cover (for the title, etc), but I wanted to show you my own version for this cover, with my favorite version of the visual :
I hope you'll all enjoy it!