Illustrations of Music Artists

Here are some illustrations by Matthew Hollings and Paul Holland that I have found that might be helpful when deciding what type of style to adopt for my work.

Jonathan Allardyce's work

I am considering doing one of my song choices on a canvas or a set of canvases/mdf panels to illustrate my chosen song.  I could use acrylics or a mixture of typography and other things to create a montage. I could also design my work in a storyboard type style or comic book/strip to show different stages of my chosen music track.  I will first pick my two songs before I decide on my illustration style. 

Choosing a Band/Artist

Below are a few artists and bands that I like and that I feel could work well for this project:

Deftones

No Doubt

Jimi Hendrix

La Roux

N.E.R.D

Lady Gaga

A Perfect Circle

Lily Allen

The Prodigy

Bat For Lashes

Nicki Minaj

Animal Alpha

Rihanna

Gwen Stefani

Lacuna Coil

Katy Perry

After narrowing it down to the above artists and bands I have now decided that I am going to illustrate two tracks from the band Lacuna Coil.  Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan formed in 1994. "Lacuna" means "empty" in Italian.  When the band first formed, they were called "Ethereal" but there was another band from Greece who already had that name.  Since they had to change the band name, they thought they would come up with something that still had the same meaning as Ethereal but with no chance of someone else having the same name. The band was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music, and the members have been known, musically, for composing mid-tempo songs consisting of prominent guitar lines and contrasting dual female/male vocal harmonies to help create a melodic, detached sound. Much of the band's recent material, however, sees a heavier and more down-tuned style, featuring a more distinct bass line and a higher mixing of the guitars within the songs. The band's 2006 release, Karmacode, peaked at number 28 in the American charts. Their latest release, Shallow Life, debuted at number 16. The album marks the band diverging their sound from gothic metal to straightforward alternative metal. As of August 2010, Lacuna Coil has sold nearly 2 million records.

Below are some photographs I took when at a Lacuna Coil gig last year:

Brief background & requirements

Having looked through all the D&AD briefs that are available, I have decided that the Diesel brief would suit me best as I feel that Illustration is one of my strongest design skills and music is very important to me.  The brief is to create an illustrated interpretation of two musical tracks that is experienced by the viewer in an unconventional and pioneering way.  We have been asked to produce a minimum of two illustrations each based on a different track from any band or artist who's music inspires me.  My solution could be 2D, or 3D or even time based.


I will need to decide what artist or band I am going to illustrate tracks for, and explore new ways that illustration can be integrated into the music experience.  I will need to consider and look at examples of how musicians are reinventing the way that they interact with their fans and the increased importance of building intimate relationships and new experiences between fans and bands.


D:U:M (Diesel:U:Music) Launched 10 years ago before Napster as a yearly unsigned music talent awards and a worldwide support network with some of the most exciting new artists, labels, radio stations, journalists and producers across most countries, D:U:M evolved and grew, on and offline connecting fans to bands, and in 2009 set off on a grand tour of the world with two lucky winning bands. Diesel:U:Music has been an integral part of the careers of such artists as Mylo, Diplo and The Cool Kids.


Diesel:U:Music

Below is an article from April 2008

After the success of Diesel-U-Music awards, the Italian label is to launch its own music radio station, the snappy titled Diesel-U-Music Radio. D-U-M will be broadcasting from its base at lovely The Amersham Arms pub in New Cross between May 4 to 30, on the 87.7 FM radio frequency in London and globally on the diesel website. The Klaxons have already signed up to play a live gig at the station's HQ, Diesel's Head of Communications Andy Griffiths said "It's about smart, creative people, whether they're established artists or bedroom DJs, in New Cross or New York, showcasing their unique view on the world and doing it with passion."