82 Album Artwork
15th September 2009, in Photo Projects (19 Comments)
It’s been a long time since I designed anything – I’d been under pressure to make the album cover for Just A Band’s new album – 82, and match the tone of the new music (much lighter, more accessible? You’ll decide). After many ho-hum tries, this is the version that everyone in the band seemed to like at first sight. So, here we go. It’ll be out on the 17th of August (I hear), and the printing is less DIY this time, so it might look better. Fingers crossed. Feedback welcome as always.
More thumbnails follow:
Camcorders: I use mostly the D90, the 7D and the 5D. 
19 Comments
September 15, 2009 9:41 am
Cuppatea
What an interesting array of colours! excellent artwork! i look forward to listening to 82…
September 15, 2009 10:06 am
peter
nice work… Think its something out of the common ordinary album artworks. You inspire me a lot…. out of curiosity which software did u use?
September 15, 2009 10:42 am
Jim Chuchu
Thanks, fellas!
@peter – Photoshop only. No special plug-ins – it’s just a composite of different photos of biological cells, smoke and stars; warped into submission.
September 15, 2009 4:58 pm
Juliana
I love the incorporation of cells (which ones? Indulge my nerdy self please?) I like the first image…i think it would pop on a white background and give it that ‘lighter’ airy feel? The black background makes it a tad broody
I still love the hand+cables combo on the first album…my boring self would replace the cables with fibre optic cable and ethernet ends + audio plugs like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS_connector or incorporate that into the design?
Which cover did you end up going with?
All the best!
September 15, 2009 9:42 pm
Jim Chuchu
@Juliana – That WAS one of the alternatives, but we chose to go with the black. I’ve uploaded the white version here for you to see: http://twitpic.com/hudyd
September 15, 2009 10:04 pm
Mbithi
Whats the last one?
September 16, 2009 5:36 pm
monica
I love it. Esp the last two for your inlays. The first four seem really high dpi, but if you can afford go ahead!!! What’s the difference in style, musically??
September 16, 2009 7:17 pm
Jim Chuchu
@Mbithi – the last one goes on the actual CD – we’re hoping the factory will be able to replace the white with transparency, so we can have something like this:
http://twitpic.com/hxym0 (rough sketch).
September 16, 2009 7:23 pm
Jim Chuchu
@monica – The usual genre-hopping, but generally louder and happier. Don’t get me started on genres. Anyway, I can’t really give you a subjective opinion on that album, right? If you asked someone like Mbithi, he’d probably give you a somewhat more balanced picture.
September 17, 2009 8:28 pm
g
like the artwork at first thought it had an uncanny resemblance to an ad running currently for PUR AMBI an air freshner especially the colours which is also on a white background that gives it the light airy feel-so it was probably a good bet to use the dark moody background.
September 23, 2009 4:25 pm
sammy mbalukah
what an amazing colour blends
September 27, 2009 5:23 pm
orwa
i really like the greenish smoking graphic, it reminds me of the colorless sentox vx nerve gas and an ingredient has just been added to the air to make visible………………………..will be waiting for the album
GOOD STUFF
October 15, 2009 5:40 pm
mandingoesque
great work jim. it’s a shame i havent seen your work before. hongera
October 19, 2009 9:29 pm
Njoki
I’m infinitely glad the black made the final cut…it’s just right. The white would have taken away from the liquid smoke-cells-something, which is AMAZING. High Five, Jim! As for genres in 82… I’ve loved using words like “Random” or “Alternative” to describe Just A Band in iTunes
so I’m the wrong person to try answer that question 
This album has ALOT to dance to and ALOT to think about, but then again so did Scratch to Reveal. Monica, my advice? Buy it and tell us. 
October 21, 2009 9:44 am
samuel mbaluka
it seems like an abstract.
i can’t imagine how it originated from your brain.
congrats.
November 4, 2009 10:06 am
Ras Mengesha (@rasmengesha23)
Jim Chuchu you rock!!! hoping to see more of your work…before you see mine buuhahahahaha!!!! okay the maniacal laugh doesnt help…
December 21, 2009 1:14 pm
David Wanjiru
Hi Jim,
I recently bought Dela’s Paukwa, and that led me to here. You’re good. I would have thought that “82″ is some sort of painting with light photography or something, but apparently it’s not. Good stuff.
January 11, 2010 11:21 pm
kiboko hachiyon (@http://twitter.com/ifreecans)
mgingo express … nuff said …
March 27, 2010 7:37 pm
Wanda (@miriamwanda)
I love the creativity to it, plus the photoshop. I love the cover…
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