The Graphic Design Thread

[xghstx]

Well I'm working on the latest design project and it's a 16 page album booklet for Parkway Drive's album Killing With a Smile.

The concept for the book is more metaphorical than the title suggests. My concept is based on a female spreading rumors about a male (likely her ex) and to put and end to the rumors he cuts out her tongue. This will tie into the album title "Killing With a Smile" (he's happy to end/kill her rumors) and some track titles ("Romance is Dead", "Guns for Show, Knives for a Pro" and "Hard to Speak Without a Tongue").

My main problems is coming up with essentially 7 photos that fit the theme but also look as if they belong together. Random photos simply won't cut it as they won't look like part of the series.

I'm thinking of using surgery type imagery (clean, scalpels, etc) as opposed to grungy stuff. Possible even black and white with red as an accent.

If anyone knows some decent stock photo sites (already checked sxc.hu, Deviant Art) that would have some surgery stuff or some other suggestions that would be much appreciated.

[Utah]

istock.com

[xghstx]

Damn, too bad iStock is a paid site. They have some good images, unfortunately the budget isn't doing to allow for it. I'm gonna have to use that site in the future when the work I do has budgets beyond my own pocket.

[Richard]

you should check out www.stockxpert.com, it's really cheap, you can get a good hi-res picture for about a dollar or 2-3
and it might seem "much" right now, but if this is an amazing good looking booklet, you can use it later as a portfolio piece and it will pay off.

it's an amazing concept you got there rob, the way i see it in my head it would be very cool

have you thought about the use of colors yet? you should maybe... consider a "sin-city i.e. red/black/white" style...
would be soo sick.

[xghstx]

you should check out www.stockxpert.com, it's really cheap, you can get a good hi-res picture for about a dollar or 2-3
and it might seem "much" right now, but if this is an amazing good looking booklet, you can use it later as a portfolio piece and it will pay off.

it's an amazing concept you got there rob, the way i see it in my head it would be very cool

have you thought about the use of colors yet? you should maybe... consider a "sin-city i.e. red/black/white" style...
would be soo sick.

Possibly even black and white with red as an accent.

Were on the same page. Thanks Richard. I'll check it out and see. I'm getting very tempted to start spending money on things like stock photos and fonts.

[Utah]

You can still download for free on istock. I've done it quite a few times. The images just wont be hi-res, but everything I've downloaded was still very good quality without any watermarks...

[xghstx]

Oh shit. How did you do it? I can't figure it out. If I click download a comp it still has the watermark.

[Utah]

Click on photo you want to enlarge it from the thumbnail, then right click and save as... I just tried it to ensure it still worked and it does...

[xghstx]

hmm. not working for me. it's only saving thumbnail size without the watermark.

[Utah]

Not sure if it matters or not but I'm using a PC and ie and its working no problem for me...

[xghstx]

hmmm i'm using a mac and firefox.

[Derek Makekau]

stupid macs.

did you try vector art (at deviant or where ever)? if you do anything sin city-ish you could always use vectors and add details with brushes to make them more lifelike.

[xghstx]

Haven't really tried to any vector stuff yet. I downloaded some PS brushes of surgery tools so I might give them a try. If I can't come up with imagery I might switch and do Sea of Treachery's "At Daggers Drawn" and do a pirate theme. If I had more time I would have shot photos but my friend who I would usually get to shoot them has gone winter camping.

[Derek Makekau]

not just brushes, like actual vector images.

not sure where to look though, quick search of deviant came up empty. but there's some good photos and shit here:

http://www.deviantart.com/#catpath=r...er=9&q=surgery

[xghstx]

I'll check those out. Thanks.

I'm really tempted to switch to Sea of Treachery right now. 4chan's /wg/ is coming up huge with pirate images.
http://orz.4chan.org/wg/res/1036611.html

[xghstx]

So Sea of Treachery it is. Should be done late tonight, tomorrow at the latest. I'll likely post because I think it'll turn out well.

[Richard]

too bad man, i was stoked of your idea for killing with a smile... that concept sounded so sweet...
i may just be me, but i always just keep going till there's no more time or chance left and i give it all before i start reconsidering another option... does this thing have a deadline?

[xghstx]

Yeah, Tuesday. Because it's booklet form I want to get it printed tomorrow in case I run into any imposition issues. This was I can make changes and have it ready for Tuesday morning.

If I had more time, I would have got my friend to shoot photos for me in his studio. I might still do it over my winter break for fun.

[xghstx]

Here it is so far. I'm close to done. The pages with the maps will be made darker. Working on 2 different documents made it tough to match colours so I'll be going back to touch it up. Still need to do back of case and cd itself.

i. Cover
ii: Pages 2-3
iii: Pages 4-5
iv: Center spread
v: Inside of center spread. 4 panel fold out
vi: Pages 8-9
vii: Pages 10-11
viii: Back Cover

Overall I'm happy with it so far. I've never done album art before and feel like I pushed myself hard to try to make sure that this will all print out. Seems simple, but it's really not as easy as it looks (printing front/back, and because it a book format the spreads on pages 2-3, 4-5, etc won't be printed on the same page but different pages and will have to line up perfectly.



Thanks to everyone who posted in this thread and offered up help. I appreciate it.

[xghstx]

Cover


Example of lyrics page


Center Spread


Back cover

[junwin]

real nice xghstx

theres a street called Parkway Drive about 15 mins from my house, the street sign goes missing alot haha.

[xghstx]

Thanks.

Haha no kidding. Especially being in Australia.

[junwin]

on a semi-related note, did this poster for my room yesterday, made it in A3 but im not sure how big i should get it printed:

[xghstx]

That's decent. I love vector style work.

[junwin]

ive been frothing over James Rheem Davis' stuff lately, gonna keep practising till i can make shit look this cool

[xghstx]

Damn. Just looked him up. Sick stuff.

[Richard]

on a semi-related note, did this poster for my room yesterday, made it in A3 but im not sure how big i should get it printed:

sick

if you don't wanna go for A2 (if you think that's too big) you should go for SRA3, which is an inch and a half / 3 cm bigger than your regular A3

[Derek Makekau]

xghstx, how much of that spread with the ship/tentacle deal is your work? just curious, it's sick.

[xghstx]

Haha apart from minor colour adjustments in PS, none. It was a good find in my search of the interwebs.

The only things that aren't mine are the original photos of the band, the ship/tentacle image, and the original cover image.

[xghstx]

Just got it printed and made the mock up. I can honestly say I think this is one of my favorite design pieces. I feel so accomplished.

[Richard]

i looked up sea of treachery on myspace and your design looks better than the current artwork they have...
you should send it in, you never know what could happen, maybe they like it enough and they'll let you design something for their next ...gig/cd/ep/flyer whateverrrz

[xghstx]

hahaha thanks Richard. I might just have to do that...

[megadeth]

parkway drive is so legit.

[xghstx]

yup.

[junwin]

xghstx, my latest poster so far, what you think?

at first i was only going to have the big Paul Stanley in there, but i really like how the others came out