Concept
I continually strive to update my skills, particularly focusing on enhancing my hard skills. Recently, I stumbled upon a course on Skillshare that caught my interest—it was about creating a poster using specific features of Photoshop to be incorporated into a final piece. The course started off by prompting participants to select a portrait photo as a base and an animal to merge with the person depicted.
Just before diving into the lesson, I was listening to one of my all-time favorite songs by George Michael, “Cowboys and Angels.” This inspired me to delve into creating some art based on it! And here’s what ensued.
The Task
The elements required for this Photoshop exercise included:
- A portrait photo
- An image of an animal that relates to the person or the intended message
- Solid color elements
- A “reaction diffusion” background element
- Text
- Meaningful yet “mysterious” numbers
- A background created using the Mixer Brush tool, along with the Displace filter
However, I found that I didn’t quite resonate with using the Mixer Brush tool for the background, so I took the artistic liberty of omitting it. Instead, I searched for a background image that offered a similar effect but with a softer touch.
Here’s an example of the final result by Brianna Johnson, another student in the course.
The Process
Initially, I focused on mixing animals that evoked a sense of “cowboys” and reflected Michael’s artistic persona. However, I soon realized that the resulting image lacked a communicative approach—I was merely aiming to complete the exercise. I wanted to create something with a deeper strategy.
Starting from scratch, I asked myself: What message did I want to convey through this image?
The song delves into the cruelty of love, particularly the experience of unrequited love. Michael himself revealed in an interview that the song was inspired by a personal situation involving unreciprocated feelings. Thus, I aimed to portray this sense of sadness.
Additionally, I aimed to incorporate the “trashy” imagery that I associated with the title “Cowboys and Angels,” which always struck me as somewhat campy. I sought to convey this personal interpretation while also capturing the song’s underlying sentiment: I wanted the depiction of “cowboys and angels” to be quite literal in the final artwork!
Elements and Moodboard
After much contemplation, I decided to include elements such as:
- The starry sky: symbolizing the universal theme of suffering inherent in the song’s message.
- Animal parts: incorporating swan wings to represent angels and bull horns to symbolize both a cowboy’s life and Michael’s sexual behaviour.
- A cowboy and Venus: representing the themes of the song’s lyrics.
- A “far west” landscape: adding to the overall mood and narrative.
These elements, along with additional imagery like holy cards and “wanted” posters, helped convey the desired “trashy yet melancholic” atmosphere.
The Structure
After numerous iterations, I settled on a composition that featured a holy card at the center, with a “prayer about love” (the song) by George Michael (the saint of the holy card).
Since the song’s title was quite literal in the image, I placed it outside the main focus, almost as a decorative element.
I positioned the cowboy as a black silhouette against a light background, emphasizing his presence.
Additionally, I enlarged the angel wings and added a drop shadow effect to draw attention to them.
I structured the composition to guide the viewer’s gaze as follows:
- Begin by reading “George Michael” from left to right.
- Notice the moon behind Michael’s head, then observe Michael gazing at the cowboy.
- Follow the gaze to the cowboy’s location, where the song begins (though the lyrics are faintly visible).
- Explore the other elements in the image, including the mysterious numbers (representing the single’s release date), the song title, and George’s signature.
I also contemplated the dynamic between the characters in the image, opting for a portrayal that suggests Michael’s open heart (filled with light), ready to accept the cowboy’s love, yet met with reluctance from the cowboy himself (who is outside of the picture, far away). This structural approach encourages the viewer’s gaze to return to the center of the composition.
Additional Work
I also created a mock-up of a vinyl record, complete with graphics for the back cover.
For the back, I centered all the main text elements, maintaining consistency with the cover design. I added a few feathers for visual appeal and to complement the cover imagery.
As for the vinyl’s graphic, I chose an image of George making eye contact with the viewer, symbolizing his connection through music. While the original photograph featured open eyes, I opted for closed eyes on the cover to better suit the overall aesthetic.
