Leslie Lee Graphic Design
I
f you are a musician and you’ve just started the
process of recording music for your new CD, now is the time to think about design. In fact, it’s never too early. The easiest way to begin is by browsing through your own CD collection and noting what you like and don’t like. Even a rough concept will save time and money. Then it’s time to contact Leslie Lee. As a graphic designer, she can turn your ideas, photographs, and lyrics into artwork that represents your own unique message and sound. As a fellow musician and music presenter, she is sympathetic to your budget and offers affordable rates.
Full service design includes everything from concept development to providing completed digital art files to your choice of disc manufacturers. It can also include logo design, printed promotional materials, copywriting, and web design.
Below are samples of Leslie's artwork designed for independent musicians. To view samples of other printed materials, visit Concert Fliers on the Photos page.
Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz's Better Off Someday CD
Leslie incorporated historic postcards of New York, particularly those that depicted travel, as a tribute to her new home. Other imagery, such as the sun, labels from spools of thread, leaves, a dry riverbed, a tractor, train tracks, wire, snow, pottery, tags, and birds were all inspired by some of the lyrics from the songs covered on this recording. Leslie and Steve chose a clear jewel case with 8-panel poster insert.
Click to enlarge Better Off Someday
John MacLean's Letters Home CD
John came armed with 45 excellent photographs to choose from...a designer's dream come true. The title was the inspiration for using a font that looked handwritten, and a letter by John in his own handwriting provides the background for the inner panels. Through the miracle of technology, John and Leslie corresponded only by email, having never spoken on the phone or met in person.
Click to enlarge Letters Home
Joe Crookston's Able Baker Charlie & Dog CD
Joe had a definite idea how he wanted the artwork to look, so the main challenge for me was to get as close to his vision as I possibly could. We worked closely together during each step of the process. Joe opted for the environmentally friendly 6-panel Digipak in lieu of the traditional jewel case.
Click to enlarge Able Baker Charlie & Dog
Randy Browning's Radical Rags CD
Randy wanted something simple and "rootsy." Earth tones, tree roots and a guitar illustrate the title and concept of traditional music and radical (meaning "arising from or going to the root or source") themes. Randy requested that the artwork focus on the music rather than the musician.
Click to enlarge Radical Rags
Randy Browning's Quick Start Guitar Class brochure
This brochure provides potential clients with information about Randy's guitar class, suggesting that learning can be quick, easy and fun. It needed to emphasize that this was an offer for beginner's classes, outlining the program costs and times, enticing clients to sign up.
Click to enlarge Quick Start Guitar Class Brochure
Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz's Recovered CD
The artwork for this collection of all cover songs relates to the title, but with an unexpected twist. Photographs of a furniture restoration shop were taken specifically for the project. Leslie and Steve knew their faces wouldn't sell CDs, so they relied on this play on words to capture the attention of their audience.
Click to enlarge Recovered
BACHA brochure
The Boston Area Coffeehouse Association needed a flier with information about the organization and a map to locate member coffeehouses to bring them together under the common umbrella of acoustic music at nonprofit Boston area venues. The artwork includes big names in folk music circles and shows that folk music is a cohesive community.
Steve Gretz's Waiting for the Sun CD
As childhood memories provided inspiration for some of Steve's songs, childhood photos inspired the artwork for his debut CD. Rubber stamp images scattered among the lyrics serve as visual introductions to the songs.
Click to enlarge Waiting for the Sun
Gerry Ryan's Halfway Home CD
Gerry provided photos of himself as a weathered New Englander for his debut CD. He said his guitar likes to be photographed, so it was included as well. Images of a house (or home), a ruler (suggesting measurement), and a compass (emphasizing direction) work together to clarify the title Halfway Home.
Click to enlarge Halfway Home
Green Pastures' Strangers in Meshech CD
Recorded as a tribute to old time gospel music, the songs evoke images of old tent meeting posters and church suppers. Historic church literature and photographs provide the background for liner notes while caricatures of the musicians assure listeners that you can have fun singing about dying and going to heaven.
Click to enlarge Strangers in Meshech
