grungehouse blog

CD cover design tutorial. This is my attempt.

I found a great cd cover design photoshop tutorial last night while searching for an album cover. The original cover illustration by Jeremy Somers can be found in his portfolio at itsartdammit.com.

8 Faces Of Anna Coquette by cloudfactory

8 Faces Of  Anna Coquette by cloudfactory.

World's first album cover. Rogers & Hart - Musical Comedy Hits. Designed in 1939 by Alex Steinweiss.

In 1939, 23 year old graphic designer Alex Steinweiss became Columbia Records first art director. He soon convinced the executives at Columbia  to create the first modern album cover. Until then, most records were packaged in generic sleeves of brown paper or cardboard. Record albums were rare and used very simple design layouts and lettering. His concept was to transform the record album by using original artwork on the front cover and  informative, well designed liner notes on the inside flap. The first album cover to undergo Steinweiss’ new design aesthetic (Musical Comedy Hits by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart) was released in 1939. Sales soared. The modern album cover was born.

World's first album cover inside flap

Alex Steinweiss designed all the album covers for Columbia Records between 1939 and 1945. He later designed covers for other record companies including RCA, Remington, Decca and London. Before retiring from album design in 1973 he had designed close to 2500 album covers.

Books:

Alex Steinweiss: Creator of the Modern Album Cover - Limited Edition

Alex Steinweiss: Creator of the Modern Album Cover (Limited Edition)

For the Record: The Life and Work of Alex Steinweiss

For the Record: The Life and Work of Alex Steinweiss

Links:

• alexsteinweiss.com
• Alex Steinweiss profile at The Art Directors Club
• The Remington Site
• undependent – Images of Rogers & Hart – Musical Comedy Hits