Band Project - Enlightened by Animals - 3D

I began the 3D aspect of this project - to create one album cover and the covers of two singles - by researching different methods of 3D artwork. I focused my research on paper art and art using cardboard.

I made a rough layout plan for a potential idea, which would incorporate 3D lettering and layering, with an emphasis of shadows and light within the composition.

Photograph digital editing of 3D objects as a test

Examples of 3D Lettering I had done previously for this project, this was something I planned to recreate for my band's album cover. I wanted the shadows cast by the lettering to be a focus of the image.

Idea Development

The Album Cover - Idea 1 

For my three covers I wanted 'shadows and light' and a 'layered stage-like setting' to be the themes that would link each of them together. For my first plan I would cast a shadow with a light from the front, reflecting the lettering of 'ANIMALS,’ and the shadow of the animal itself onto the surface behind. I also wanted light to shine through from the back of the structure to create a moon/halo like shape which I would achieve with a layer of tracing paper for the light to shine through. 

I built the structure using three layers of different coloured card, creating spacing between by using foam board.

Example of light shining through, sunlight when held up to the window 

A larger scale recreation of the 3D text, I used a lighter colour to create contrast with the red background

First build, photograph test

I also tested lighting the structure with different light filters, using blue and red

I used a stronger light for some of the images I took, this ended up being the one I would use

The concept for this album is that it is the band's debut. The title of the album is 'ANIMALS.' 

​For the background of the album I would use the other side of the structure I created, using both red and blue colour filters over the light I was able to create an chromatic aberration effect.

Single 1 - Idea 2 

For the single I wanted to use different colours and have the theme of shadows and light and a layered structure remain the same. I planned to make peacock feathers as I found that peacocks were usually associated with enlightenment when I began my initial research for the band.

I created the feathers by cutting them out of paper using a scalpel, I then painted them with watercolour paint. In my ideas I had the feathers in a fan-like arrangement similar to an actual peacock, I would achieve this by attaching wire to the back of each feather and sticking the wire in a modelling clay base.  

I wanted to corrugate the background layers of the piece so I practiced first on smaller sheets of paper. I would draw out the floral design first with a fine-liner and then corrugate the paper. 

I created the background using two different colours of card, cutting them into strips. I also planned to use this for the back cover.

Originally I planned to corrugate the paper vertically, however I changed to a horizontal corrugation to create more texture in the background,

I made a cardboard frame to appear at the front of the structure, adding leaves out of card that would be raised to create shadows.

Initial photography, lighting the structure from different angles and using different colour filters over the light source

Single 2 - Idea 3

For my second single, I planned to make a hyena out of clay, which would be the focal point of the piece, having a more simplistic background; white card with silhouette-like black trees casting shadows on to it.

I drew out some rough idea for what the hyena could look like, and how it could be posed. I eventually settled on recreating a pose similar to that of the band's album cover.

I took photographs, again experimenting with the colour filters. Originally I used a stand behind the hyena as the clay was too heavy to stand up on its own, however I was able to have the Hyena remain upright without the stand in later photographs.

For the back cover I used an image where the trees cast a shadow onto the plain background

Final Images

ANIMALS - Album Cover

Feathers of Gold - Single

Secret Forest - Single