Blissfully lost in the Dot Matrix!

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to share some of the WIP album artwork! This week has mostly been spent painting the inside of the gatefold vinyl sleeve which will also serve as the board game board for Creatures Of The Late Afternoon.

Corinne, the kids and I have been testing the game over the last few weeks. Here you see a modular version of the game.  (It won't be this complicated to play, I was using little sheets of paper to add/subtract squares to the game board while we were balancing the gameplay.

Once we figured out how many squares seemed to work, I drew a wonky line version on a tablet and projected it onto the canvas.  This is 8 feet across and 4 feet high. 

I traced the projections for the game squares keeping keeping in mind the "not perfectly square" dimensions of a gatefold record sleeve and allowing some print bleed as per the requirements from the record pressing plant. 

Then the fun started.  I basically started painting dots.  Lots of dots, to create an ocean of chameleonic tardigrades. These are just some early layers.  I still have a few more to paint to add some more depth and highlights...

At this point I'm basically winging it... Having fun mixing colors on the spot and seeing what happens.  I'm also trying to do some of the lettering with a brush. You can see the first layer here on the FLEA MARKET and APARTMENT PARTY squares.

But then I realized the paint wasn't quite opaque enough in some instances.  So I spent some of your pledges to get a few acrylic paint pens so I can do some (slightly more) precise lettering.  ie: this square about losing your instrument in a snow storm. 

I was able to fit all the letters into the square but they aren't completely opaque either as you can see in the "Rental Van" square, so I may have to go over it a couple of times for legibility's sake.  

The game is actually fun for the whole family. We laughed a lot playing it. Kid Tested, Corinne approved! It requires you to go around the board, visiting flea markets and going to parties where you draw cards, find instruments and meet various creatures who sing, play drums, or slap bass. At which point you can create a song, what kind of song you make depends on your "life experience" which is a pile of cards that has genres like "love song" "work out montage" "soundtrack theme" "break up song". There are also some interactive music/vinyl  components such as the "staring contest" square, or our personal favorite, "DIG TIME!" where you have to play a game of memory/match to find double copies of backstage rider items whilst a bespoke one-minute timer track plays off the vinyl, serving as both a timer and a soundtrack to that moment in the game. Silly, but it works!  

After I finish the game board.  I'll start painting all the creature character cards and "dig time" cards.  Then we'll scan/photograph all the artwork and do the final layout digitally to prepare for print.  

Okay... I'm going back to work! 

Thank you all for your support!

E

P.S.:  Those of you on the New Fun Tier, we've started sending out your annual mailbox goodies so keep an eye out for them in your mailboxes in the coming weeks!

P.P.S: This weekend is the Valentine's Day Virtual Robot House Party that we're presenting with National Art Centre and Place des Arts.  Adira, Jessi and Maresa from Vinyl Vaudeville will be there as your Robot Dance Captains. Hopefully you registered, as the event is now at capacity. Can't wait to see the 400 (say what???!)  robot households on Sunday! Just a reminder to save your cardboard and we'll see you on Sunday at 1pm EST!