The Art of Record Covers: Illustration Meets Lettering

The course starts with an overview of how Steve Simpson has been influenced by his past experiences and you'll take a look at a collection of artists and designers who have influenced his traditional approach to illustration.

Included in the brief for this project you'll be given a well-known song title to create a cover for. However, you're the band so your name will go on the cover. Steve will supply you with templates for the record sleeve and label.

You'll start by finding references and making quick sketches in your sketchbook that will help you explore ideas and get a greater understanding of the subject.

With that initial research done, you'll create thumbnail sketch ideas for the cover. This is a fast and efficient approach for exploring as many options as possible and choosing the best option.

The next stage is creating more resolved sketches for both the cover and the label. Here you’ll think about shape relationships and creating good silhouettes to maximize the message without going into great detail.

Finally, you’ll make resolved drawings by adding details and checking references. You’ll transfer those final drawings to your computer or tablet for rough coloring. Steve will be using Affinity Designer on the iPad Pro, but you can use whichever app you normally use for digital coloring.

Steve will show you how to create a limited color palette for your design.

You will print the final color designs (A4) and the template (A3), and then glue to the assembled sleeve and the label fixed to the vinyl record.