Scroll down to see some of the steps leading up to the final cover above.
On the left is the sketch I was given by art director John Dixon. It was for concept only and was up to me to interpret and give it authenticity. On the right is a stock photo I found that I thought would work well for this. I knew it was possible to change the proportions in Photoshop. Wasn't liking the background though.
I found the photo on the left and thought it could work well as a background. On the right is the Photoshopped version. I liked the red numbers and left them in.
Buzzers, and more buzzers.
Starting to piece elements together, not worrying about specific style so much yet. On the left the art director quickly placed in the tenant categories. On the right you can see I developed the graffiti type, the masking taped logo was replaced with a sticker approach, and I was hoping the cigarette butt and cockroach would be approved (which they were).
There were so many elements to this cover which required finding the right stock photo for. One of the last pieces to this big design puzzle was the loose screw I wanted to add on the bottom right of the intercom. I remember looking at hundreds of photos of screws and not one seemed just right. I ended up photographing one I happened to see on the street! The red arrow above is what I used.
Closeups. Each of these was a photo illustration. Varying the style for each one was key.
