Giju John, an immensely talented singer, songwriter, and producer based in San Francisco, approached me to design the CD cover for his latest album, “Bachata Indu.” I was both thrilled by the opportunity and intrigued by the challenge it presented. The songs were in Spanish, composed for the Bachata dance form, both of which were new territories for me. However, I was equally excited because Giju was creating a fusion album, incorporating the Indian classical instrument, Santoor, a personal favorite of mine.

Giju, being detail-oriented and creatively sensitive, had a clear vision for the cover. He envisioned an illustrative fusion of the vibrant Bachata dance form with his own headshot, alongside representations of Spanish and Indian instruments.

During the design process, I focused primarily on achieving the desired dynamic effect through illustration. After experimenting with line work, I explored a new approach by blending colors in an oil-painting style. Instantly, the vibrancy and rawness of Bachata began to emerge with just a few strokes. Choosing to stick with this style, I crafted other elements around it. Utilizing a vast array of oil brushes available online, I found that the application, mixing, smudging, and blending felt remarkably authentic, lending a fantastic finesse to the painting.

Subsequently, I meticulously crafted the lettering for “Bachata Indu,” adding gradients to enhance the overall aesthetic. Consistency was maintained throughout the front and back covers, as well as the inside of the cover jacket, all completed in a similar illustrative style.