From A to B: Emmy the Great

Emma Lee Moss (also known as Emmy the Great, with a little help from her friends) released her second album, called 'Virtue', on the 13th June.  I made this illustration for Amelia's Magazine, to go with Amelia Gregory's review of the record (follow the link here).  This is a very brief overview of 'work in progress'...

I start by looking at reference pictures and thinking about imagery used in the lyrics; dinosaurs, the passing of time, religion, relics, Trellick Tower.  I always do thumbnail sketches to decide on the overall layout.  I wanted to go with an orthodox christian icon style on this one and decided to do most of the drawing in Photoshop, so I made a sketch good enough to scan and use as a guideline.

rough sketch

I did a lot more um-ing and ah-ing about colours and where to but the gold leaf (a must) than I could show in this post so I'll condense the middle bit.  

somewhere in the middle

the final thing

I loved her first album 'First Love' (still do), and this follow up delivers to all round high expectations.  Emma pens simultaneously quirky and catchy narrative songs and sings them out with a versatile voice.  The record opens with the lament that Dinosaur Sex lead to nothing, and that pretty much sets the tone.  It's melancholy for sure, but it's beautiful and I'd expect nothing less.  I have had it on repeat for the last 24 hours.

Buy it from iTunes, listen on Spotify, do what you have to to hear it.

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