Album Artwork + Behind the Scenes
The striking album cover to "Portraits" is a composite of 5 or 6 images shot entirely practically within a 1:25 scale diorama I designed and constructed myself in my apartment. It contains no CGI of any kind.
I documented the entire process of creating the diorama below.
Click each image to expand it, and read about each step protrayed.
I started with a cardboard shipping box, gluing down hundreds of wooden stir sticks.
Once in place, the sticks were shined up with 4 coats of gloss Mod Podge.
The "neon" sign was hand-shaped using EL wire. It really does glow!
All the "paintings" in the gallery are Crayola marker on mini canvases. They represent various alter egos represented on the album.
Many awkward angles were at play during construction. Many fingers were burned.
Mini measuring spoons and jewelry chain formed the barrier. The paintings were hot glued in place.
Let there be light – Achieved using the Woodland Scenics Just Plug lighting system, and...you guessed it, more spoons for the fixtures.
The signage in the gallery is really legible in person! Just very, very small. The ultimate test for my Epson ET-2850 inkjet.
The punny signboard was created using cardstock reinforced with spare stir sticks, and some papercraft techniques in Apple Pages.
Like every model, the Portraits Gallery has a good side and a not-so-good side.
The completed set was lit using Neewer and Sokani LED fixtures, and a Nikon D5300.
Lighting from underneat was provided with the help of a spare Sokani tube light and copious amounts of Gorilla Tape.
Merch Designs
These designs were sold on shirts & buttons at the live album release party, taking place at LIVE! On Elgin, July 28th, 2024.
The tagline of the Portraits project, loud and proud.
A favourite pin design for the artists in attendance.
Exclusive to Portraits live, Gallery guests got to bring home this commemorative design.
T-shirt mockup. The real deal was pressed using puff vinyl, creating a tactile 3D effect.
