Classical guitar music often evokes images of serious musicians and formal concert halls. But what if you could inject a dose of humor and personality into this genre? That’s exactly what classical guitarist Mark Hussey aimed for with his album “Laid Back,” and he commissioned a unique Cartoon Guitar album cover to capture this playful spirit.
This project involved creating a bespoke cartoon design that would resonate with Mark’s musical style and the album’s relaxed theme. The goal was to move away from traditional, staid album art and produce something memorable and engaging, using the charm of cartoon illustration.
Humorous cartoon rats concept art for a classical guitar album, showcasing playful creativity in album design
Crafting the Front Cover Cartoon
The brief for the front cover centered around depicting Mark in a live performance setting, but with a cartoonish twist. He envisioned a stage environment complete with a red curtain backdrop and a focused spotlight, elements reminiscent of classic concert stages. The core idea was to present a cartoon version of Mark himself, guitar in hand, performing on stage.
Initial sketches explored a serious, concentrated expression for cartoon Mark. However, given the album title “Laid Back,” this felt tonally inconsistent. The direction then shifted towards a more relaxed and humorous portrayal. The idea of adding an audience was also introduced to enrich the scene, moving beyond simple background figures to create a crowd with diverse and expressive reactions.
Cartoon illustration of classical guitarist Mark Hussey for his album cover, embodying a laid-back and humorous style with a cartoon guitar theme
The Back Cover: A Whimsical Cartoon Twist
To complement the front cover, a back cover design was also needed. Initially, a simple colored background with the tracklist was considered. However, seeking to add more visual interest and humor, the idea of incorporating cartoon rats emerged. Inspired by a love for cartoon rats, it was proposed to depict a group of these cheeky characters making off with one of Mark’s guitars. This whimsical scenario added a narrative element and further enhanced the album’s lighthearted theme.
Album Disc Art and Project Development
Expanding the cartoon guitar theme, the concept of artwork for the album disc itself was explored. This provided an opportunity to further unify the visual identity of the project. The existing cartoon artwork of Mark was adapted and incorporated onto the disc design, ensuring visual consistency across the entire album package. Key design elements like typefaces were carried through, and a rich blue color was chosen to harmonize with the red curtains on the front cover, creating a cohesive and visually appealing palette. A final touch was the addition of another cartoon rat on the disc front, reinforcing the playful character of the album art.
Final Cartoon Guitar Artwork and Client Satisfaction
The resulting cartoon guitar album artwork successfully captured the desired blend of classical guitar and humor. The vector format ensured crisp, vivid colors and linework in the printed album. The project was a fun and creatively rewarding endeavor.
Mark Hussey’s feedback speaks volumes about the success of the cartoon guitar album cover:
I recently challenged Nick to come up with a design for my recent solo classical guitar album ‘Laid Back’. Nick listened to my requirements, was thoughtful, timely and produced exactly what I had been hoping for, a great album cover. I could not recommend Nick more highly for his artwork and design skills. A very talented man indeed.
Explore more cartoon album sleeve designs and artwork in the portfolio.
