FANTICIDE COVER ART
It was a thrill to create this cover art for Fanticide's latest album, Under Achille's Heel. From front to back I was swept away to a future where Humans and AI collide.
The ever stunning and talented Cassandra Vincent is featured on both sides of the album and adds her ethereal voice to the music as RF. Her images were taken by Frank Carlos in LA, and I edited them into my painted backgrounds. How do you construct a world based on an album? My process began with speaking to Adami and listening to his music. This was a unique project in that the album tells a defined story and already had a color scheme. So, my job was simple: open a window into this cleverly constructed future so that we could see as well as listen. The concept for Under Achille's Heel struck a cord in me, as I harbor a deep love for Science Fiction. Listening to the music will certainly transport you. It made me want to teleport to this future and bring back images to share. Sadly, I'm still working to prefect an interdimensional portal, so I had to be inventive and rely on the power of art instead. Challenge accepted. Thankfully, being a photographer and sketch artist really comes in handy when designing cover art. I photograph and sketch things that inspire me with the intention of one day incorporating them into future projects. Compiling your own stock art and photos is not only ideal, it saves time. Here are a few examples of the details that went into the cover:
The flaming heart is a combination of painting and layers of photographed smoke and embers.
The plane crash in a crumbling skyscraper is a photo and painting. The Moth I photographed at the National Air and Space Museum, many years ago. I painted in the smoke and flames.
What is a future city without cable cars going between the buildings? I had so much fun painting this in.
Last but not least, my favorite detail, Robo-hobo. I painted him in along with the exposed pipes and little plasma fire. He looks out longingly gazing, quite content in his minimal life, with the best view in the city. Listen to the music here: UNDER ACHILLE'S HEEL
