Mixed Media Cover Art for Nate DAE
After being in contact with Nate for some time, in 2023 we finally worked together for the first time officially, to create the Single Cover for ‘KILLA‘, with Brezzo. A music video had already been directed and edited, and the cover was needed to fit within it’s established pseudo-narrative or a crime scene. Nate emphasised wanting the artwork to include mugshots, and have a police procedural feel to the cover.
I immediately got to work editing provided portraits to mimic mugshot images for incoming perpetrators, matching the striped wall imagery to their respective photos, and implementing shadows where necessary to invoke a sense of realism. From here, booking forms were designed, rife with references to the artists, with space for written information to be added in later once printed, alongside other elements to bring the visual to life, like the fingerprints, and a ‘Rap Sheet’ towards the bottom, referencing each of the artists previously released music. As well as these two imitation documents, screenshots from the video were taken and formatted as evidence, to help create enough imagery to populate a scene for photographing, to create something of a convincing display of files that could appear on a desk.
Multiple layouts were arranged and photographed, with extra elements like the paperclips and sticky notes added to emphasise this sense of realism, before transitioning back to Photoshop to edit the images before sending options to the client. The final editing stage focused on adjusting the photos taken to bring out the colour and key details necessary from the physical media, in the information on the write-ups, and the tactile elements. Overall contrast and colours were increased to make the image as striking as possible, before a set of photo treatments were created, each with slightly different styles.
Jack Churchley is a Sydney-based Graphic Designer working in and around Music, with 5 years of experience designing for an array of artists, from International acts like Kevin Abstract and Nate Dae, to local rising talent, all across digital and and physical processes, to create uniqe artwork.
(EM) intermission.designstudio@gmail.com
(IG) @Jack.Churchley / @Intermission.DesignStudio