Rhythm Assignment: 12" Record Cover

We worked with basic figure/ground relationships in our first 2D concepts project. Rhythm involves those relationships repeated to form patterns in composition. Similarly, rhythm in music involves sound/silence repeated to form patterns. This rhythm might have a steady beat, layers of different beats - longer or shorter, louder or softer etc.

Assignment:

Design a 12" record cover for music of your choice by visually transcribing its sounds/silences and rhythm/repetitions into an abstract composition. Note: this is not an illustration of the song (figurative) but an interpretation of its rhythms (abstract).

Materials: 

Sketch pad, pencil, illustration board 15x20", acrylic paint (black & white), water container, pallet, ruler, exacto knife, tape.

Preparation:

record cover design and value scale
  1. Cut the Illustration Board into two piece measuring 15x15" and 5x15"
  2. On the 5x15" piece: Paint an 11 step value scale. Number it from 0 (black) to 10 (white).

Procedure for Record Cover:

  1. Choose a piece of music that relates closely to you. Bring to class and email me the title, artist and link so that I can put together a playlist.
  2. Listen to the chosen music. Ask yourself some questions about it: Is the beat fast or slow, hard or soft, etc? Is the rhythm uniform or does is change throughout the song? Is the sound layered? How many layers? What would this muslic look like? What shape would represent certain sounds?
  3. In your sketchbook: Create a dictionary of sounds by drawing non-representational images for the different sounds.
  4. In your sketchbook: Draw a 4" square thumbnail sketch for the record cover using the shapes from step 3. Repeat these shapes, creating patterns/rhythm and keeping in mind the total composition.
  5. On the 15x15" piece of illustration board: Draw a 12x12" picture frame in pencil. Be sure it is centered and tape the edges.
  6. Copy the thumbnail sketch to the illustration board using pencil.
  7. Paint the record cover using acrylic black, white and various greys.

CRITERIA - to be discussed during the critique:

  1. Rhythm: The composition must include repetitive shapes and elements which correspond to the rhythm in your chosen music.
  2. Space: Your composition should have a simple illusion of space, using any of the devices discussed in the lecture such as overlapping shapes, diminishing size, converging edges and value shifts.
  3. Value: You should use black, white, and at least 4 other values. The painted value scale will prepare you for this.
  4. Other principles of design: basic figure/ground relationships, harmony/variety etc.
  5. Complexity, originality and creativity.
  6. Presentation.

PLAYLIST of chosen songs for record covers