Who is Harsh?

Harsh World, a Virginia rapper with ties to 804 and 757. Also known as Chef Boyarbing, Harsh World, who has an EP coming soon called Smorgasbord, is all about the good life — good food, fine wine, and plenty of trap beats to keep the bass pumping.

Phase 1

Sketching & Brainstorming

The original cover artist had to stop work abruptly, so I picked up the original concept and made some tweaks to it.

The biggest change was the overall composition of the cover. The original layout had no depth or sense of direction to it. Harsh requested for the cover to represent wealth and abundance, of both food and variety and that’s exactly what you see before you: a lavish, somewhat excessive amount of goods spread across the table. As the head of the table all the attention is on the artist. That sense of direction is further reinforced by the framing of the subject between the legs of a woman laying on the table, by creating a V-shape, a window for you to look through.

Phase 2

Color & Typography

Once the composition was approved it was time to move into the process of digitally painting the cover. Codeine played as a huge inspiration for both colors and typography. I wanted the cover to feel psychedelic and trippy. The way the lettering melts into the scene was directly inspired by the way lean seeps into the drink, in gooey, lava-lamp-like fashion.