Developing an image part 2

Developing an image part 2

 After my initial ideas I decided to start playing around with things. I  looked into the effects of amphetamines and apparently they can cause multiple emotions. From happiness to anger to sadness. So I thought id attempt to portray this in an image.

 In the image above I quickly sketched down the positions of the three faces I wanted, I wanted to attempt to portray the the different emotional states you would go through whilst on the drug but place it into one face. 

 I then took this a step further and attempted to create the image using the three band members faces, Personally I dont like this image as I dont think It has enough detail or likeness to the band members and I think it looks too messy.

Developing an image

Developing an Image

First sketching down images I thought of the idea of creating an image including a woman and somesort of a needle. I thought this would mis both the sensuality of the songs and also he hard hitting highs which both compliment each other as a whole. 

In this image (above) I decided to go for a more traditional needle and have the female inside the needle almost as though suggesting that the female is like the drug and the who ever is going to take the contents of the needle is going to get addicted to this woman. 

 I decided to try a more grungey image in the abover image in order to try and reflect the bands sound. I like the idea but i dont think i will be taking it any further as the image looks to cartoonish for my liking and it doesnt seem fitting and filling enough for a full cover image.

Artist Reaearch -Mark Laita

Mark Laita

Unfortunatly I have been unable to find much information about this artist himself but I managed to find information about this project he started at the begining of 2011 and finnished it at the close of the year.

 Mark Laita has been traveling to various locations around the U.S. and Central America photographing some of the world’s most deadliest snakes, a series entitled Serpentine. Of the project he says:

"The sensual attractiveness of snakes, which coexists with their threatening, unpredictable and mysterious nature is truly unique. This dichotomy, in which their beauty seems to be heightened by their danger, and vice-versa, is what I find so fascinating. Add to these contradictions the rich symbolism of serpents and you have a wonderfully compelling subject."

Laita works with collectors, breeders, zoos, and even anti-venom labs who let him photograph their snake collections.

Artist Research- Aaron Horkey

Aaron Horkey

Aaron Horkey is a graphic designer from Windom, Minnesota.He has created concert posters for bands such as Boris, Converge,Isis, and The Melvins. First Showing described him as "one of Mondo's most popular and respected artists"Horkey held a solo exhibition at the Remick Gallery in 2010. In 2011, he collaborated with Vania Zouravliov for the Dracula poster, which was listed by Complex as one of "The 50 Best Mondo Posters (So Far)". He curated a series of the Paul Thomas Anderson film posters in 2013.

 The series covered;

Hard Eight

Boogie Nights

Magnolia

Punch-Drunk Love

There Will Be Blood

It featured contributions from;

Rich Kelly

 Rockin' Jelly Bean

Joao Raus

Jordan Crane

He also created the poster for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2012.

Artist Research- Kent Floris

Kent Floris

Kent Floris is a Norwalk, CT based illustrator. His illustration work is a blend of traditional rendering with bold graphical elements inspired by what's in front of him at any given time.

Kent graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in illustration. Upon Graduating he worked as an in house illustrator for Marc Ecko's Cut & Sew clothing line then later turned to freelance. The transition opened up amazing opportunities for Kent such as creating graphics for Nike, HBO, and commissioned works for Moet Hennessy.

Whether it's commercial or personal illustrations the amount of time and attention spent with each piece is evident. Kent feels each new graphic created calls for it's own unique stylistic approach. He loves highlighting the subtle nuances and finding those seemingly unimportant moments in each work.

Below is a piece Floris created for Nike/ Kobe Sheath. I prefer the image with the white background as personally I think it stands out way more than the one with the black background.

Artist Research- Roslaw Szaybo

Roslaw Szaybo

Szaybo was born in Poland in August 1933. He is a Polish painter, illustrator and cover designer.

He graduated in 1961 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and was mentored by Wojciech Fangor and Henryk Tomaszewski.

In 1966 he moved to United Kingdom where he worked as an independent designer. Between 1968 and 1972 worked as an art director for the advertising company Young & Rubicam.

From 1972 to 1988 he was named the chief  artistic director of cbs records. During these years he designed over 2000 album covers, mostly for classical music, aswell as some major big names such as  

-Elton John

- Roy Orbison

-Santana

-Janis Joplin

-The Clash

-John Williams

Arguably Roslaws most known piece he created would be the album cover work for Judas Priests- Brittish Steel, Roslaw also created the official logo used by the band.

This image by Roslaw is one of my favourites its a cover poster he created for Rosemary's Baby a movie from 1968. I love the colours used and the emotion shown on the snakes face.

Artist Research- Hylton Warburton

Hylton Warburton

Hylton Warburton is a designer and illustrator who works and lived in Durban. He has over 7 years of experience working with both well known and lesser known brands. Some of these include:

-Nike

-Footlocker

-Russian bear 

-Vodka

-Mr Price

He has experience in many areas of design these include:

-Illustration

-Typography 

-Digital

SNAKE IN THE GRASS T-SHIRT DESIGN FOR NORMA JEAN

Norma Jean is an American metal/hardcore band which contacted Warburton to create a t-shirt design for them. Warburton is a huge fan of the band and jumped at the chance to create a design for them. I love this design as the battle between snake and text is pleasing and attractive to me.

Russian Bear

In 2013,  Warburton was asked to take part the Russian Bear 'Urban Expressions' Design Challenge. He  was fortunate enough to win the competition. A limited edition run of bottles with his design were  available from early 2014. Unfortunately I havent been able to find any bottles still in production.

Zebra and Giraffe

Warburton was commissioned by South African band,Zebra & Giraffe, to do a t-shirt design which would be released as part of the launch of their album "The Wisest Ones". 

Artist Research-Rusty Knuckles

Rusty Knuckles

Rusty knuckles is an American company which creates band and motor vehicle merchandise.

Artist Research- Brian Viveros

Brian Viveros

http://brianmviveros.com

 Internationally celebrated artist Brian M. Viveros has an unmistakably arresting hand. His highly detailed paintings of defiant doe-eyed beauties summon a raw poetic of intractability. Beautiful and yet barbarous, they draw from the power of the feminine and its reconciliation of vulnerability, beauty, and power. His subjects are fighters and survivors, rendered immaculately, and just bloodied enough to remind us that they are formidable opponents not to be taken lightly. The artist’s hyperreal portraits deliver cult worthy heroines emerging triumphant from battle, complete with cigarettes anchored from parted lips, and tattoos and wounds to rival any soldier’s; they are steel tough victors rendered with something of the sublime. Viveros’ work elevates the iconography of the femme-fatale as a powerful emblem of strength and retaliation: insubordinate beauties undaunted by the unruliness of a messy fight.

A technical perfectionist, Brian Viveros’ oil, airbrush, acrylic, and ink paintings are highly saturated with pigment, luminosity, and depth, while the compositions are poignant and simple. The artist’s emphasis tends to be on focal points such as the eyes, lips, and skin, conveying the subtlety of minute expression and the power of an impaling gaze. The paintings feel cinematic, like haunting stills from a film, owing to their evocative suggestion of narrative and to the iconicity of their subjects. The artist’s creative cosmos is beautifully stylized, never derivative, and distinctly recognizable as his own.

Viveros’ recognition and exposure was catalyzed by his participation in a major group exhibition in Switzerland in 1997 entitled: The Art of Porn, in which he exhibited alongside celebrated artist and academy award winner H.R. Giger. Since then, Viveros’ work has been widely exhibited in North America and Europe, and showcased in numerous international art fairs. Most recently, Viveros’ exhibition War of the Roses was sold out as a solo presentation for Art Basel Miami through Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles.

Brian M. Viveros’ paintings have been published extensively in print. His work has been featured in books such as: Les Barany’s Carnivora: The Dark Art Of Automobiles, Harry Saylor and Carolyn Frisch’s Edgy Cute: From Neo-Pop to Low Brow and Back Again, Matt Jordan’s Weirdo Noir, and Erotic Signature’s The World’s Greatest Erotic Art of Today – Vol. 1 and Vol. II. The artist has also been featured in the pages of Juxtapoz (no. 118), Secret Magazine, In the Flesh, Skin Two, Drawing Blood, Darks Art, Joia Magazine, Tattoo Extreme, XFUNS Magazine, Let’s Motive, Truce, Digital Temple, Riviera Magazine, Uce Magazine, Ego Magazine, Real Detroit Weekly, .ISM Quarterly, Tattoo Society, Dark Art’s Parlour Magazine, Revolution Art, Iniciativa Colectiva, Fetish Magazine, and was recently featured on an episode of the TV show ‘LA Ink’ (when artist Nikko Hurtado tattooed one of Viveros’ paintings onto a client).

In addition to his painting, Brian M. Viveros has extended his practice to include film. His feature short Dislandia, marked his debut as a filmmaker in 2005, and explores the desolate dreamlike world of an unsettling young girl. The surreal psychodrama is replete with imagery from the bizarre to the symbolic, and explores a quietly eerie eroticism. Similarly, Southern 2008, Viveros’ first full length surreal film, is a highly stylized exploration of primordial impulses, troubling eroticism, and violence. The artist and the Dislandic crew were featured in a behind the scenes look at the making of the film on the Sundance Channel’s ‘Pleasure for Sale’, a feature that ultimately informed the making of Southern. Other recent films include: Tercio De Muerte, and Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries. Viveros’ filmic work, much like his painting, captures something powerfully uncanny and symbolically unsettling from the depths of our strained psyches, and yet keep us entranced by an undeniably seductive urge to keep looking.

Celtic Cross

Celtic Cross

The Celtic Cross has long been associated with the people of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and parts of Britain as a symbol of heritage. However, the history of the Celtic Cross is one that is rich in speculation and interpretation. Although traditionally, crosses have been given a religious connotation because of the crucifixion of Christ, Celtic Crosses were in evidence long before the Celtic people converted to Christianity in the fourth century. 

The Celtic cross, popular for over a thousand years, was not designed by the Celts until the early middle ages. But Celtic knots, the designs used on the cross, have been around much longer than that. The Celt are famous for their designs of knots. These designs appear on crosses, jewellery, sword handles, and fabrics.

Early explanations of the history of the Celtic Cross include the use of symbolism from ancient peoples in which the cross stood for the four directions, or four corners of the earth. The circle was a symbol for the moon and combining the circle with the cross was thought to be a symbol for the sun. Some believe that the horizontal and vertical sections of the cross come together to imply the joining of forces such as Heaven and Earth. 

Modern uses 

Today, the Celtic Cross is believed to have a protective influence and is used as symbol of ethnic heritage as much as one of faith. It is often used as an emblem of ones Irish, Scottish or Welsh identity. 

There are many legends as to the origin and history of the Celtic Cross, including those of religion and tradition. Although ambiguous, the folklore adds to the mystery and interest of the Celtic Cross and allows this ancient symbol to continue to mean many things to many people.

Celtic Art

Celtic Art

Typically, Celtic art is ornamental, avoiding straight lines and only occasionally using symmetry, without the imitation of nature central to the classical tradition, often involving complex symbolism. Celtic art has used a variety of styles and has shown influences from other cultures in their knotwork, spirals, key patterns, lettering,animals, plant forms and human figures.es.

Like their daily life, their art was lively. They made colorful jewelry, fabulous fabrics, beautiful pottery, musical instruments, shapely figurines of bronze and gold, strong wheels for carts and wagons and strong weapons out of iron.

Artisans were highly respected. They did not owe any military service to the nobles. They did not work in the fields. If they were talented, they gained wealth and comfort. They were free to travel and sell their goods to other clans. Artists were appreciated and encouraged.

Scottish Celtic Routes

Celtic Scotland

‘Celtic’ is broadly defined by language, and by the art, artefacts and human remains of Iron Age peoples. ‘Celtic Scotland’ saw the native population of the Later Bronze Age adopt new technologies and aspects of culture from the peoples that they traded with. The Iron Age in Scotland began c 700 BC and continued to around AD 500. 

Native craftspeople mastered iron smelting and decorated their metal work with exquisite designs; they loved intricate decoration and ornament. Celtic decoration often included complex woven patterns of ‘knotworks’. The people of the Iron Age tribes wore colourful dyed and patterned clothes; warriors wore golden torcs round their necks and fought from war chariots drawn by horses.

Warrior bands were skilled horsemen and hunters; fierce fighters and charioteers who were famed for their feasting, boasting and storytelling. Their battles echoed with the sound of the war horn;the Carnyx. Iron objects, including cauldrons and swords, were thrown into water - in lochs, rivers and bogs - as ‘votive’ offerings to pre-Christian gods and goddesses.

The Romans listed the Celtic tribes of the north. These included the Caledonii, the Votadini, the Selgovae, the Damnoni, the Novantae, the Vacomagi and the Venico.n

Amphetamine Ballads the album

Amphetamine Ballads the album

“I genuinely don’t know where the music comes from, How I play music - live or in the studio - it is what it is and I struggle to know where it comes from. There's been a lot of things written about the band, people say we're angry and things like that - but to me it's just us. There's a hell of a lot of joy in the music.” DaleBarclay 

Amphetamine Ballads is the soundtrack to the dark corners of nightclubs and those dimly lit alleyways off the main drag. The smell of smoke and liquor pervades everything. Recorded at night time at The Green Door Studio in Glasgow, this is a subterranean record – an album that can show you round the parts of a city that come alive after dark.

This the album cover for the Amazing Snakeheads début album Amphetamine Ballads. 

Personally I find this album cover quite plain and boring, although I can not deny the fact it is straight to the point and clear what it is and whose album it is.

The band name album title and song titles are clearly stated in a black box so you can clearly see which album it is and whose album it is and what it entails.

There isnt much to discuss about this cover as it is rather plain and straight to the point, the snake skin background has clearly been chosen as the bands name is the amazing snakeheads. There isnt even a border on the whole image. All in all the cover is plain and simple yet effective.

Above is the bonus 7" inch Deluxe Vinyl version of the album. I love this edition of the album as I think you get alot more for your money and it is more pleasing to the eye.

The amazing Snakeheads

The Amazing Snakeheads

The Amazing Snakeheads are a Scottish rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dale Barclay, bass guitarist William Coombe and Drummer Jordan Hutchinson.

The Amazing Snakeheads never really formed as such - their conception seemingly more preordained than planned. Dale and William had been friends since childhood; Jordan was Dale’s neighbor who became a close friend. While they each played music, they never really harbored ambitions to play in bands – the prospect of aiming high and missing was almost enough to put the trio off even trying. When the band finally got together and started playing shows, their shows quickly gained an infamous reputation. 

There recent release of their début album ''Amphetamine Ballads'' has received huge critical acclaim and has landed them straight in the lime light. 

Whilst listening to this album I often found that the singer Dale Barclay often sounds angry and hoarse. This didn't deter me from the album if anything his hoarseness and course rough vocals is what attracted me to this band. 

This band reminds me of Eagulls, The Wytches and Beastmilk in my opinion they have successfully managed to slice together different genres such as goth, rockabilly, blues and garage.The trio refuse to discuss their musical influences in interviews, but in fairness, they don't really need to. They exist in an occult lineage of dark guitar bands from Glasgow, most of whom made no real impact outside of Scotland. The incredible power of their live shows, it's pretty obvious that front man Dale Barclay's on-stage persona is a slightly knowing one that plays on the archetype of the sociopathic Scottish hard man.

The album "Amphetamine Ballads" is comprised of ten cleverly written songs which all have a deeper meaning then what initially lets on, the album consists of:

- I'm a vampire

- Nightmare 

- Samp song

- Here it comes again

- Flatling

- Where is my knife

- Every guy wants to be her baby

- Memories

- Heading for heartbreak

- Tiger by the tail

(All three members of the band-from left to right- bassist,william coombe- centre, guitarist and vocalist, Dale Barclay, Drummer, Jordan Hutchinson)

Album Review

Im A Vampire - This is the first song on the albm and its standout lyric, “She’s more beautiful than any woman I’ve met, And she fuckin’ knows it,” reminds me greatly of "The Streets" "Fit But You Know It".The first sounds you hear on in this opening song are the crash of a gong, a distorted flailing guitar, a thudding bass riff, followed by a thickly Glaswegian-accented voice screaming about how an unreturned love makes the him feel like the undead. This song is a statement of intent which is far more than a detailed study of the vampiric lifestyle which was what my initial thought on what the opening song was.

Swamp Song - is dry as a bone the piercing, screeching guitar tone and lurching bass are likely to make you get goose bumps; the sheer noise created by the Snakeheads is none more impressive than on this number. The drums, bass and guitar are wandering and completely locked-in simultaneously.

Here It Comes Again - has a taut, motoric pulse at its heart.The band itself must be rather confident about its abilities to strip a song down as dramatically as they do on "Here It Comes Again", which is basically nothing more than the title, screamed over and over again for three and a half minutes. Their confidence isn't misplaced. It's not the easiest listen in the world, but it's not supposed to be.

Flatlining - is full of noisy interludes are messy and overcrowded, and the strange inclusion of harmonica suggests that the band are still exploring.

Where Is My Knife? - simmers with implied menace, an ominous drumbeat keeping things taut

Memories - main killer hook “Take it by both hands/And shake it if it needs it” will hang around in your brain for ages. The Steve Mackay-aping solo and Tracy Pew-inspired bass paint a bloody picture. Barclay’s howling is astounding 

Tiger By The Tail - This album closer is a lush, rich acoustic dirge 

It’s difficult not to expect something dark when going into this album; song titles like “Flatlining”, “Nighttime”, “I’m a Vampire”, and “Swamp Song” hint at that murky, underground, dark macabre. On some of the tracks it’s permanently midnight. It’s Irvine Welsh unleashed on a microphone. The intensity lurks across all 10 tracks, and it makes songs like “Every Guy Wants to Be Her Baby” and “Flatlining” feel like they could soundtrack a noir film.

Listening to Amphetamine Ballads, you get the feeling that the Amazing Snakeheads know they've struck on something powerful. Their confidence isn't misplaced. It's not the easiest listen in the world, but it's not supposed to be: at a time when most of what passes for alternative rock sounds desiccated, Amphetamine Ballads feels raw and potent and alive.