‘Western Skies’

Book Design, Packaging

Book design and album packaging for Austin singer-songwriter Darden Smith's 16th album.

Westernskies Pentagramblog1

Front and back covers of the book.

Front and back covers of the book.

Essay layout. Smith wrote sixteen original pieces.

Essay layout. Smith wrote sixteen original pieces.

The Western Skies project – part music, part prose and part photographic essay – is Smith’s homage to the mythologies of Texas and the American West.

Learn more about the project

Photo layout featuring Smith’s Polaroids.

Photo layout featuring Smith’s Polaroids.

Song lyrics layout. From Smith’s album Western Skies.

Song lyrics layout. From Smith’s album Western Skies.

The vinyl and CD packages feature four of Smith’s ethereal photographs, duly obscured by the design team with red, wall-to-wall typography inspired by vintage Buffalo Bill’s Wild West posters.

Learn more about the project

Custom collector’s edition box.

Custom collector’s edition box.

Letterpress cover page and signed lithograph print.

Letterpress cover page and signed lithograph print.

Singer-songwriter Darden Smith performing. Photograph by Matt Lankes.

Singer-songwriter Darden Smith performing. Photograph by Matt Lankes.

The collector’s edition features a leather/cloth cover, a signed lithograph print of one of the Polaroid images and a tipped-in signature page all contained within a handsome clothbound box.

Learn more about the project

Vinyl package for Western Skies the album.

Vinyl package for Western Skies the album.

Front and back cover of CD package.

Front and back cover of CD package.

Center-ring design for vinyl record.

Center-ring design for vinyl record.

Special edition, cloth-bound book with tipped-in Polaroid image.

Special edition, cloth-bound book with tipped-in Polaroid image.

Vinyl and CD packages, and collector’s edition box set with book and lithograph print.

Vinyl and CD packages, and collector’s edition box set with book and lithograph print.

Darden Smith and DJ Stout look over past design work. Photographs by Jessica Pages.

Darden Smith and DJ Stout look over past design work. Photographs by Jessica Pages.

‘Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971’

Book Design

Design of the companion book for the landmark exhibition presented by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

‘Western Skies’