I designed a set of vinyl singles for three songs by the classical pianist Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guebrou. My process started when I interviewed several people after we listened to the songs together. As we discussed our experiences, I created sketches and notes about visual associations that came up for us, including colors and phrases that were evoked through the music, subject matter, genre, tone, musical arcs, words, and memories. I attempted to honor the emotion and imagery in her songs through my design choices; a waning moon for Song of the Sea, a prickly thistle for The Mad Man’s Laughter, and a singular mountain for Ballad of the Spirit. My hand-lettering and illustrations consider texture and styling, mimicking Guebrou's musical approach.
Although each design is unique, I’ve created a cohesive system with careful type applications, a balanced use of scale and weight, consistent placement of repeated objects, and a unified color palette. My color inspiration came from 3rd century traditional Ethiopian weavings and paintings.
Typeface: Hand-lettering and Baskerville
Size: 7" x 7"
Initial Sketches:
Inspiration:
