Sunday, April 11, 2021

Art Direction and Project Management

Art Direction and Project Management

Art Direction and Project Management

It started with just cover art
It started with just cover art
It started with just cover art
It started with just cover art

What began as a simple commission for an album cover evolved into a deeper collaboration. Chris “Kapeesh” Hayes approached me to visually represent his introspective music project, centered on addiction and relationships.


Over three months, we explored a range of Ukiyo-e-inspired concepts, ultimately landing on a hand-drawn coca flower—his drug of choice—created entirely with a mouse in Photoshop and set against a black background to evoke powdered substance.


The result was an elegant yet unsettling image, designed to mirror the music’s emotional weight.

The habbit of thinking bigger

As the project evolved, I stepped into a leadership role—acting as both Art Director and de facto Project Manager—as new creative needs emerged.


The work matured into a complete visual system with six key components:


  • Cover Art: The central artwork became the foundation for single releases, promotional graphics and merchandise.


  • Day and Night Doodle Grid: A commissioned piece by Ivan Canevaro, repurposed for merchandise and visual storytelling.


  • NFT Gift: The first 25 supporters received a hand-painted wood block by Ahlise Vela, paired with a 1/25 Cardano NFT linked to their unique piece.


  • Slap Art: Designed for stickers and street-style promo, extending reach through physical spaces also produced by Ivan Canevaro.


  • Merch Integration: Each element contributed to a cohesive design system, enabling scalable applications across platforms and products.


  • Music Videos: A visual extension of the project’s themes, pairing narrative storytelling with motion graphics to bring the music to life on screen.


What began as a single illustration grew into a fully realized visual identity—scalable, narrative-driven and strategically executed across platforms.



Album Cover

Day and Night

Doodle Grid

NFT's

Mask Slap Art























As the project evolved, I stepped into a leadership role—acting as both Art Director and de facto Project Manager—as new creative needs emerged.


The work matured into a complete visual system with six key components:


  • Cover Art: The central artwork became the foundation for single releases, promotional graphics and merchandise.


  • Day and Night Doodle Grid: A commissioned piece by Ivan Canevaro, repurposed for merchandise and visual storytelling.


  • NFT Gift: The first 25 supporters received a hand-painted wood block by Ahlise Vela, paired with a 1/25 Cardano NFT linked to their unique piece.


  • Slap Art: Designed for stickers and street-style promo, extending reach through physical spaces also produced by Ivan Canevaro.


  • Merch Integration: Each element contributed to a cohesive design system, enabling scalable applications across platforms and products.


  • Music Videos: A visual extension of the project’s themes, pairing narrative storytelling with motion graphics to bring the music to life on screen.


What began as a single illustration grew into a fully realized visual identity—scalable, narrative-driven and strategically executed across platforms.



Album Cover

Day and Night

Doodle Grid

NFT's

Mask Slap Art























Tackling the Music Videos

To deepen the narrative and emotional resonance of the Ukiyo project, we expanded into visual storytelling by producing a trilogy of music videos. Collaborating with filmmaker Joseph Jones, we developed a cohesive plan to translate the project's themes into compelling visual narratives.


Each video was meticulously crafted to align with the project's overarching aesthetic and thematic elements, reinforcing the emotional depth and complexity of the music. This expansion into visual media not only enriched the storytelling aspect of Ukiyo but also broadened its reach and impact across different platforms.



This Is Your Brain on Base:


This video delves into the psychological impact of addiction, using stark imagery and disorienting visuals to mirror the chaotic mental state associated with substance abuse.



Mad House:


Exploring the tumultuous nature of personal relationships, this video employs a blend of surreal and intense scenes to depict the instability and emotional turbulence that can arise within intimate connections.



Mad House (Finale):


Serving as the culmination of the trilogy, this video synthesizes the themes of the previous installments, offering a poignant reflection on the journey through addiction and relational strife, and the pursuit of clarity and resilience.

Hard part is done, Time to share

With the cover art, merchandise, and music videos in place, we turned our attention to creating a strong digital presence. We developed a series of social media assets that extended the visual language of the project—animated clips, motion loops, and branded stills were produced to maintain momentum and visibility across platforms.


These assets were designed to be modular and scalable, allowing for rapid deployment around releases, merch drops, and announcements. Each post carried the same emotional tone and visual cohesion established in earlier phases, ensuring the brand remained consistent and recognizable in fast-moving digital spaces.


This phase marked our transition from visual development to audience engagement—using design as a tool to sustain interest and expand reach.


You an find the animated cover art that was produced for the single releases in the motion graphics segment here.


  • More Works More Works

Motion Graphics

Motion Graphics

Motion Graphics

Motion Graphics

Branding Systems

Brand development

Branding Systems

Brand development