Illustrating Song Lyrics

On the week commencing 18/10/21, I had the task of creating a digital illustration using lyrics from Set It Off's song, Hypnotized.

To create this image, I went through the following steps:

1. In Illustrator, I created a black and white roundel by adding a circle with the Ellipse Tool, and selecting Path > Offset Path, and repeating until I had filled the page. Every other outline was coloured in white.

2. I went to File > Export Selection, and saved my image as a JPEG.

3. I put my JPEG onto a new layer in Photoshop, created and duplicated the layer, and moved the JPEG on the new layer slightly to the right.

4. I altered the colour channels on each layer. Together with the off centre layer, this created the blue and red effect.

5. I went back to the first JPEG and deleted sections using the Rectangular Marquee tool.

6. I created a new layer and added a rectangle and using the a Halftone Pattern in the Effects panel.

7. I created a final layer with text.

Reflection

At first, I was unsure about the final result, I worried about the text placement and even if the design was interesting and unique enough, but I now think it is. I am very happy with the design!

Also, as I’ve learnt, design doesn’t have to be completely unique, intricate, have lots of colour, elements, or have a hidden meaning for it to be interesting. Often, less is more, and less elements can make the meaning more impactful.

I was inspired to use the glitch effect in my design because of the lyrics and title of the song. In my design, the glitch effect roundal gives connotations of being entranced or hypnotised. The design is readable, uniform, imaginative, and intricate without being busy. For those reasons, I think that the design was a success! If I were to revisit this, I would experiment with different colour channels. I could try making each word fit inside a rectangular shape to see if it’s better placed that way.

I’ve tried out the glitch effect before, and it’s always been a success, so it’s definitely something I’ll keep revisiting. I’ve also created lyric illustrations in the past, and I always find those fun because I get to draw for my favourite songs! And, considering that Set If Off is my favourite band, this particular image was very exciting to create.