ComArts Projects: Polly Diamond cover

Polly Diamond by James White

I was asked by Computer Arts Projects to participate in their monthly Designer Challenge, where they supplied me and two other designers with an image of a lady and we were to design a CD cover for the make-believe electro artist Polly Diamond. We had a week to create the final image before submitting. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the image I received and the final version.

Polly Diamond

I wanted to do something old-school with a funny, over-the-top angle. If you are Canadian you might spot the inspiration behind this piece as being that of K-Tel, a record company stationed in Winnipeg, Manitoba during the 60s and 70s. They had crazy covers for their compilations and was something I wanted to mimic in my design. Here are a couple of examples:

K-Tel covers

The version appearing in the magazine doesn’t have the Leather Rebel sticker on it. The idea hit me a week after I sent the final version off, gotta love it when that happens :) This also uses the same bacground effect used on my recent Wordburglar poster.

My design appears in the latest installment of Computer Arts Projects, the Print Design issue, which is currently on newsstands in Europe.


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10 responses to “ComArts Projects: Polly Diamond cover”

  1. Adrian Rodriguez Avatar

    Amazing. How you got the clothes on her I have no clue, but it looks awesome.

  2. Courtny Cotten Avatar

    This turned out well! Interesting inspiration here, the “Sound Explosion” original is radically ugly IMO, you took the best element from that. The color scheme from the “Full Tilt” piece could have worked out well here too.
    As always, rockin’

  3. Brian davis Avatar
    Brian davis

    This is amazing, I only know a good portion of how you did this but this just blows me away. Extremely great work top notch with everything. Speaking of K-Tel love their art too I’ve got a good collection of their records for the Juke Box and you pulled the best design out of its work. Love your art.

  4. Jukes Avatar

    Very nice! Have you fleshed out an entire font by now?

  5. Marvin Avatar
    Marvin

    Marvelous as always, but I am *DYING* to know how you got the leather jacket on her…

  6. Mr_LeE Avatar

    Oh wow look at that.. She has red tips as well!

    Great job :D

  7. malarts Avatar

    That ‘Full Tilt’ cover is the business! I love the KTel label, and old school label art in general. Polly Diamond should really exist – somebody put music to this rad art!

  8. Tylor j. Reimer Avatar

    Ah this is excellent James! I always love to see your K-Tel inspired art. We actually watched a documentary on K-Tel in our Advertising course. I guess being a local success story they figured it’d be worth showing. I loved their designs for it’s kitschy retro feel.

  9. Neil Martin Avatar

    That’s pretty awesome work. It took me a few seconds to work out how you’d put the jacket on her and then I realised that the only part of the original that exists in the cover is her face and neck and the whole body is just another photo. It works flawlessly though.

  10. barton damer Avatar

    man! good call switching up the outfit. tough image to work with!

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