You may remember a few months back a post with a sneak peak of the artwork for my band’s (Fundamental Elements) latest EP, This Moment. We just released a couple Christmas songs on our website (CLICK HERE for a free download!) and we put a little holiday spin on the album cover. Thought I’d share…
Now what are you waiting for? Go get some free FE Christmas music! Merry Christmas.
Filed under: Art
This week is the final week to get your Christmas Card orders placed! All orders must be in by this Friday, December 3. How do you place an order? Easy. Simply email russ@fundamentalelements.net and let me know you’d like to order some Christmas cards. Yup, that simple. For a recap on customized card design options info CLICK HERE.
In the past month I’ve had the opportunity to work with a couple more bands on some album cover projects. A couple years ago I did a project for a band out of Alabama called Hello August, and recently they approached me to design a cover for Rise, an EP of some worship tunes they’ve recently recorded in Nashville, TN.
We kicked around a few ideas and concepts over the phone, and as I sat down and played with some stuff, the design sort of took on a life of it’s own – and I was loving it. It’s really fun when that happens, but in this case it headed an entirely different direction that what we’d previously discussed. So when I pitched the concept to the band, I knew there was a good chance they’d say, “Yeah, it’s cool, but it’s not really what we had in mind.” Fortunately the design did for them what it did for me and caught them by surprise in a good way, so we chased it.
The end result was a very simple, retro look, with faded and muted colors and worn edges – sort of designed to look like a vinyl record cover that’s been sitting in your dad’s collection of classic rock albums for the last 35 years. With that in mind, while the design is very simple, a lot of time and effort was spent on attention to detail – subtle design elements that create a retro feel/look, and the addition of wear and tear to create the illusion of a beat up old record cover with creases, tears, and scratches in the paper surface of the cover. I even pulled some old records out, photographed them, and with a little help from Photoshop, placed some of the worn spots from an old Stevie Wonder record directly onto the Hello August design (Side Note: it’s important to point out that I used one of the greatest records of all time – I only use the best materials). Some filters and actions were then applied to fade the colors and give the appearance of aging.
(Photograph I used to get the wear and tear look – if you don’t have this album, stop what you’re doing and go get it. Seriously, go. You can finish this later. You’re welcome.)
(Front Cover – click to see larger image)
(Back Cover – click to see larger image)
The inside cover was equally as simple with similar applications, layers and images to create a classic vinyl cover look. Once the final product is in, I’ll get some photos together and post them for you to see the design in it’s entirety. In the meantime, go listen to Stevie’s Songs in the Key of Life. Over and over and over.
Only three days left to order your Christmas Cards and receive free shipping! To place an order please email me at russ@fundamentalelements.net!
Filed under: Art
I’m finally caught up on Christmas Card stuff and am announcing packages and pricing for the 2010 customized Christmas cards… and this year I’m stepping up my game. Prices have increased some but I assure you the products won’t even compare to last year… yeah, they’re that much better. I’m using a pro printing lab, which will provide you with a higher quality, acid free card stock (with multiple finishes to chose from), and an incredibly higher printing quality… plus envelopes will be included! So although prices have gone up, you’re getting a ridiculously better product all around. The prices are still very competitive with other customized, “boutique-style” card designers. Here’s the breakdown:
THE CARDS:
This year I’ll be offering 5×7 flat cards (full color, 2 sided) in a variety of designs. I’ve updated 7 of the Vintage LP Cover designs and will be making those available again this year, along with 3 other modern custom designs. All 10 designs are the same price.
THE PACKAGES:
1. “New School” Designs 1-3: Each of the first 3 cards has a unique, modern look – these are not your everyday Christmas card. Includes one family photo on each side (except for design #2 which has 3 photos on the reverse side), and a space for a handwritten message is included in the layout. Click the images below for a larger view of sample designs.
2. “Vintage LP Cover” Designs 1-7: These cards are designed with the classic look of an old jazz record collection. These designs allow for one family picture on the front and up to 4 smaller photos on the reverse side. You’ll also have the option of including autographs on the front design as seen in some of the samples below. Space for a hand written message (on the reverse side) is also included in this layout. Two different background options are available for these designs. Click the images below for a larger view of sample designs.
THE PRICES:
Prices are listed below, please note that FREE SHIPPING is included with all orders placed by midnight of October 15. Click the image below for a full view of pricing information.
TO ORDER:
Simply email me at russ@fundamentalelements.net and I will reply with an order form. Since these are custom cards, this will be easiest. Depending on which design you’re interested in, I’ll have specific questions and suggestions for you to help create the best card possible. Please include “Xmas Card Order” in the Subject heading.
SAVE $20 ON YOUR ORDER
Need photos? I’m partnering with 2 incredible photographers. Receive $20 off any card order when you book a mini-session with Fresh Art Photography (St. Louis, MO) or Amelia J. Moore Photography (Nashville, TN). You’ll not only save on Christmas cards, but you’ll get the opportunity to book a session with two of the most talented photographers around. Click the names of each photographer to visit their website and learn more about booking a mini-session.
Filed under: Art
As you know, last year I did a series of custom Christmas cards designed to look like vintage album covers, which I am making available again this year. See previous posts for examples. In addition, I’ve finally completed 3 other designs to throw into the mix for the 2010 series. Here’s a look at what will be made available shortly (using outdated pics of my beautiful family). Click on any image for a larger view….
Design #1:
Design #2:
Design #3:
I’ll be posting the final design packages and prices hopefully later this week, so stay tuned. I know it seems early, but lots of folks are booking photo sessions, etc. done with the holidays in mind and I’m trying to stay ahead of the game and keep you ahead as well. More to come soon…
Filed under: Art
My wife has recently been working hard to learn her way around her new camera and is getting really good. Don’t worry, she’s not jumping on the ever popular “start-your-own-photography-business” kick that 90% of Americans are currently experiencing. She just really enjoys it, and I’m excited that she’s getting into some artsy fartsy stuff. Don’t tell her how proud I am, she’ll call me out next time I roll my eyes and tell her to put the @#$! camera away. Yeah, she practices a lot. It’s giving me a chance to try my hand at some photo editing. Some is good, some is bad, and I’m enjoying learning and experimenting. Here’s a look at one we tag teamed on from our trip with our son to the park yesterday… she’s developing a great eye for composition!
Filed under: Art
Christmas Cards are in the works! This year I’m making some upgrades. We’re going with 5×7 cards this year, which plays with the dimensions some. Since that tacks on a couple inches in width, it gives me the opportunity to play with the layout and add some background and layering touches. Here’s a sample of how it’s coming together, using the design for my family’s card from last year…
I’m happy to announce I’ll be pairing with a few incredible photographers around the country for this year’s cards. Stay tuned as more info will be announced, including pricing, etc. in the coming week or so…
Last year I had great response from the LP Christmas Cards (if you missed it, I did a series of custom Christmas designed to look like vintage album covers). A few of them are shown above. Click either image for a better view. The plan is to start working towards Christmas 2010 very soon, and this year I’m happy to be teaming up with my good friends at Fresh Art Photography to offer packages for a mini-photo session + design package. We’ll be putting our heads together on that in the coming weeks and offering some early-bird price breaks as well. Stay tuned for more on that.
On that note, Fundamental Elements just finished tracking our first Christmas tune of the year with plans to release a Christmas EP this fall. It will most likely be an online exclusive thing, but I’m really excited about it. I’ll keep you posted as things progress with that project, so stay tuned. For more news and updates on FE, you can always swing by our site at fundamentalelements.net. Be sure to click through and add us on Facebook and Twitter!
