The Codas: Album Art for EP Is This Us
Process & Collaboration:
The band had a strong visual concept from the outset and provided creative direction around themes, symbolism, and tone. To bring these surrealistic ideas to life, we staged and photographed hand-based compositions using props and stand-ins for the impossible elements—such as weightless or oversized objects—to serve as realistic reference material. We used consistent directional lighting across all shoots to ensure cohesion in shadows and highlights across the series.
I rendered each illustration traditionally on paper using stippling (pointillism) techniques, emphasizing texture, realism, and mood. The final art was scanned, lightly retouched, and formatted for digital platforms. The resulting series tied the sonic and visual identity of Is This Us together—bringing physical, emotional, and surreal elements into focus.
Project Story:
Commissioned by Kingston-based band The Codas for their 2024 EP Is This Us, this series of hand-drawn illustrations was created to visually narrate the band’s introspective, emotionally layered music. The project included the main EP cover as well as three accompanying single covers—Weighed Down, Habit, and Eyes Closed. Each piece was created with pen and ink in a detailed, realistic pointillism style the band specifically requested after seeing my previous work. The artwork was used across streaming platforms and social media in tandem with each release, month by month.
