Do It Yourself Classical Album Covers

[beclemund]

For some albums, the design is simple yet striking... however, when I try to resize them for my tags, the text ends up getting too distorted. For instance, this one:



Since the font seems very close to Times New Roman (comes with Windows XP OS by default), it was easy enough to recreate it from scratch:



Though I am still unsure if I am adequately centered.

[beclemund]

And for my last post of the day, MahlerTitan posted a Bruckner 9th conducted by Boulez (popular guy, eh? ) on this forum. This was actually one of my first efforts with a fully functioning image editing program though, my first effort with this was using MS Paint... it is posted on that thread somewhere. I later revised the image and it looks a little better than it did initially. Still, not particularly lovely. And the composition was borrowed loosely from the cover posted below it...

[beclemund]

OK, I lied. I had one more attempt at the Mahler 2nd that started this whole thing.

I used M's text alignment ideas, but went with the first image I chose for this, Choirboys as I like the pairing for this symphony. I also dropped the bottom framing and opened up more of the image... I had to do a little problem solving with transparencies for the logo. It always turns out easier than you make it to be when you RTFM, eh?

Anyhow, pick your favorite:

[Lilas Pastia]

Very nice! The downloads are always hard to fit with an adequate cover. I make mine differently, but these look very professional. I'm not sure about the choirboys in the Mahler 2, though. They seem to be coming down from Dumbledore's office. Is that the pensieve in the  foreground?

[beclemund]

Very nice! The downloads are always hard to fit with an adequate cover. I make mine differently, but these look very professional. I'm not sure about the choirboys in the Mahler 2, though. They seem to be coming down from Dumbledore's office. Is that the pensieve in the  foreground?

Hehe... Everyone is so hard on the Choirboys... How about if we go in a completely different direction and try a Starry Night Over the Rhone?

[beclemund]

An homage to Naxos?



For this download link from Maciek. No logo as the source of the recording was unclear (maybe I should make a Maciek logo ). The art is by Polish artist Zofia Stryjenska.

[mahlertitan]

looking familiar?

[techniquest]

Here are two of mine, not in any way professional but knocked out to do the job. I felt that Dali was sufficiently OTT to complement Mahlers' huge scores!

[beclemund]

looking familiar?

Haha! Nice mirror image. 

Here are two of mine, not in any way professional but knocked out to do the job. I felt that Dali was sufficiently OTT to complement Mahlers' huge scores!

Those are very nice. I love the way you used colors from within the images for the text shadowing. It makes it very dramatic. Much finer than the mess that I have been making so far. And very nice placement as well. Thank you for sharing those.

[techniquest]

Thank you. That's very kind comment.

[Drasko]

This is contagious, you know, and fun  Here is what I came up with

[M forever]

OK, I lied. I had one more attempt at the Mahler 2nd that started this whole thing.

I used M's text alignment ideas, but went with the first image I chose for this, Choirboys as I like the pairing for this symphony. I also dropped the bottom framing and opened up more of the image... I had to do a little problem solving with transparencies for the logo. It always turns out easier than you make it to be when you RTFM, eh?

Anyhow, pick your favorite:

I figured out how to realign the text and I also replaced it with a "lighter" font. This is now your favorite:

[beclemund]

This is contagious, you know, and fun  Here is what I came up with

Yes it is. I find I am going through my older images and revising them since I have learned a few things since I started doing this.

That photo of Maestro Boulez is a very good one and definitely a bold and to the point job on the text.

I figured out how to realign the text and I also replaced it with a "lighter" font. This is now your favorite:

Definitely a lot cleaner. Still some alignment issues on the left side, but I like that font a lot. I still prefer the Choirboys image; although, with all of that incense smoke, it really seems like they are trying to cover some other kind of smoke up.

[M forever]

The problem with the choir boys is that Mahler's "Auferstehungssymphonie" is not the musical setting of any kind of formal religious ceremony, like a mass or requiem. It is the musical setting of a religious *idea*. So the choir boy picture seems very "wrong" and "inadequate" (plus it just looks totally gay...  )

This is contagious, you know, and fun 

Indeed it is. Here is a new creation. Striking minimalist design!!! 

[Drasko]

That photo of Maestro Boulez is a very good one and definitely a bold and to the point job on the text.

few touchups

[beclemund]

few touchups

A nice logo find there. I modified my cover for that performance as well:



I think it is a sure sign that I should get some sleep. 

[M forever]

few touchups

You forgot the name of the conductor!

[Drasko]

You forgot the name of the conductor!

No, just didn't found it necessary. But here you go...

[M forever]

That looks much better. I think design which leaves out stuff like that draws, ironically, too much attention to the "design" facts. Now you also have all the colors from the Festival logo in the title. Yes, I noticed that!  Of course, my minimalist cover design is hard to beat 

[Renfield]

Drasko, the photo you use on your cover has a very "dark lord of [something]" sort of feel, to me. Not to say that Boulez isn't "arcane" enough to merit the connection, of course!

But really, I am the last person who should be commenting, being utter rubbish as I currently am with any image-editing program whatsoever... Especially since some of you lot are pretty good indeed.