Flag/ poster development

Playing with colours and adding textures

I wanted to develop more depth to my initial flag concept by adding a juxtaposition of soft blur/ gradients and harsh textures; this would build a better link to the concept of conflict within punk/ post punk in Russia, as well as relating to the juxtapositions within the music itself. This version plays with a black and white colour palette as I wanted it to focus purely on the textures. Despite this, I don't think black and white is appropriate as it lacks the energy and loudness I want to involve in order to display a rebellion against censorship. 

I experimented with gradient mapping as well to explore alternative colours; I don't really think this version fits with the style of my album concept as it lacks the brightness and bold colours. I want the outcome to be consistent and align with the visuals of the album concept, as the whole collection should serve as a package.

Adding illustrations 

I thought that I could also introduce the motif of dancing into the flag concept, as it would tie it into the album cover and the subjects discussed in their music; I found this illustration in the British Library archives, and thought that it was conceptually interesting. It was in the 'dancing' image album, but also has a sense of conflict within the movements. I thought this was perfect in relating to the micro genre as it touches upon the unity within underground punk scenes in Russia, and the strong sense of community in Soviet youths; as well as this, the illustration could serve as an allusion to the undertones of conflict within punk and post punks origins in Russia; young people within the scene rebelled against Soviet governments and fought for their individuality. Due to this, I feel like the illustration is a key symbol of this celebration and struggle simultaneously. 

The addition of the illustration fit super well into the flags composition , as it blended in with the textures quite well; I also like how aspects are hidden by the whitewash textures, which links to themes of censorship with this conflicting visual hierarchy. I also like how there is barely any negative space within the outcome, as it applies an emphasis on the chaos/ conflict within the concept. 

I like how this version combines colour with black and white as it introduces a strong juxtaposition. However, I feel like the colours are too similar to my inner sleeve concepts, so I decided to experiment with tweaking the flags colours. 

I don't like the colours in this as it is way too off from my album designs; it doesn't look visually consistent at all.

I really like the loudness of this colour palette, yet feel like it could work nicely as a print or a separate element to the package- it seems too flat for the final flag outcome. 

This version is by far my favourite; it has a nice contrast between cool and warm tones, which touches upon conflict within the genre. As well as this, the colours are taken from hues within the A and B side, which allows it to fit in nicely with the whole collection - I think I could tweak the green to be more yellow and increase saturation. Also, I did a little vote in a peer group chat and this colour way got the best feedback. 

Mockups

I think these added textures allow the flag to be brought to life; I feel like the outcome would work super well printed on fabric as it would communicate a diy nature associated with punk/post punk.

I think now that I have decided on my flag, I could try using these visuals for other add ons to the final outcome; for example, I still haven't included the song titles in my collection. Due to this, it could be interesting to add song titles onto a print, or possibly a postcard/ flyer? This would work in relating to the underground posters in Russia.