Reference photograph taken on iphone in Kumasi, Ghana 2021Final Cover ArtArt Direction by F GOLDENGoal: To capture the essence of his boyhoodBrought on Sculpter/Painter, my dear friend Cindy Hsu Cindy looking at the sand beneath my sneakers to get a realistic sense of Ghana’s topography.We made 2 versions but decided on the first one: Cindy’s color study the 1. Selecting the same color palette as the acrylic drawing/painting to make the side panel. Using mathematics, we calculated the approximate height and width of side panel to ensure square format of the final cover art. We made 8 pieces for the side panel. ‘F GOLDEN’ = 7 letters | ‘B4 Sunset’ = 8 letters. These videos showcase parts of the process that may not be obvious when looking at the final cover art.Guideline sketch I drew to ensure Cindy knew what my thinking was. As the Art director and Graphic Designer, it was important that the artist understood our end goal. I drew this guideline sketch to ensure Cindy knew what my thinking was. I finalized the art using the 8 pieces for the side panel and applied a mask to place our painted pieces into the typography of the side panel. Thus, unifying the overall design. I pulled inspiration from some of my favorite covers by a few of my favorite artists. My father introduced me to Culture (reggae in general) at a very young age. It’s a major grounding element for me. It’s also a reminder of how revolutionary it is to be yourself in a world that is adamant into transforming you into a reflection of various societal agenda.As a teenager growing up in the Bronx, bachata is one of my favorite genres.