who is Tory Lanez?
Tory Lanez, a Canadian artist, gained fame for his fusion of hip hop, R&B, and dancehall, earning him a spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Collaborations with artists like Drake and Chris Brown expanded his reach, while nominations at prestigious awards like the Grammys and BET Awards underscored his impact on the industry.
Memories Don't Die Album
Since this album was already in existence, I set out to push the boundaries further by redesigning the album cover, track list, and merchandise, along with orchestrating a new rollout campaign.
Original Cover Design
Redesign Concept
Crafting the alternate cover involved selecting elements like polaroids, balloons, and confetti from the artist's 2019 Instagram feed, reflecting his preference for oranges and yellows. Envisioning childhood memories, I chose a childlike pose from the bottom images and added crayons, toy bricks, and baby handprints to transform the original photograph into a vibrant, youthful aesthetic.
Concept sketches
Chosen sketch concept
Typography
Custom lettering
Due to the natural and organic style of my handwriting, it complemented the cover much better.
Illustration Process
When creating illustrations, I always start with outlining to ensure correct proportions and figure alignment. Once this foundation is set, I focus on detailing the skin tones, leaving clothing and fabrics for later stages. Adapting the style for the balloon and toy blocks proved challenging due to their different textures; adjusting the reflection's hardness and outlining thickness helped create consistency.
Cover Variations
Final Cover
Inside Sleeve
I envisioned the inner sleeve resembling a sketchbook, lending a personal and journal-like feel to the album, with each track representing a journey through the artist's life. The faded colour palette aimed for a rustic/vintage vibe, transforming the album into a collectible art piece rather than just another vinyl purchase.
Each packaging design would include initial sketches of the artwork on the inner sleeve.
mockups
Pop smoke
shoot for the stars aim for the moon
In July 2020, a social media competition was organised by Virgil Abloh, Steven Victor, 50 Cent, and Universal Music to honour Pop Smoke's legacy after his passing. Graphic designers worldwide were invited to contribute artwork for his unreleased album, with the selected design becoming the official cover. Despite not being chosen, the exposure gained from participating in this competition was significant, and I'm proud to have been a part of it.
Other Work
