tyler childers

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tyler childers ×

snipe hunter Album Creative

Art Direction | Logo Design | Packaging Design | Design Management | D2C Planning

Handwritten text that reads Tyler Childers

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the new branding

Tyler’s usual branding is his handwritten name, and it is still prevalent in his creative today. For this new album we wanted to give the type something that goes with the album creative. The artwork is him in a study, showing an idea of luxury. We wanted his name to feel elevated to match the imagery you’d be seeing.

the snipe development

The term "snipe hunting" most commonly refers to a practical joke or a fool's errand, in which a person is sent on a fruitless mission. Though snipes are real birds, the joke's success relies on the gullible victim not knowing this. As we were getting into the story of this album, Tyler wanted to reference turkeys you would hunt in Appalachia, but in a more fantastical sense. Each turkey shown is conceptualized by Tyler himself.

The illustrations were drawn and painted by Alexander Derwick.

A detailed pencil sketch of a hybrid creature with the head of a bird and the tail of a peacock, standing on two legs.

Black and white illustration of a bird perched on a branch

Colorful hand-drawn illustration of a peacock with vibrant blue, green, yellow, and red feathers, spread out on a table with watercolor paints and brushes nearby.

A detailed watercolor painting of a bird with a long beak, colorful feathers, and a body that appears to be composed of fluid or smoke.

A detailed illustration of two turkeys, one with a colorful crest and the other with white and brown feathers, standing on grass.

The Eastern Snipe featured here is the main snipe Tyler wanted to focus on.

An illustration of a mythical bird with the body of a bird and the head of a rooster, standing on a rock with small plants around.

Illustration of a colorful turkey with elaborate fan-like tail feathers and detailed plumage standing on grass.

Western Snipe

Southern Snipe

Rio Grande Snipe

Mountain Snipe

Colorful rooster with a feathered crest, standing on a branch with red curtains in the background.

A glass display case on a wooden table with various decorative items inside, set outdoors at night with streetlights and trees in the background.

A fantastical bird with the body of a chicken and the head of a rooster, flying in the sky with clouds in the background.

A digitally illustrated creature with the head and beak of a turkey, body covered in lion-like fur, and wings and tail feathers of a turkey. It stands on a plain background with some lines indicating ground.

Close-up of a person wearing a detailed rooster costume with feathers, a beak, and a red comb, standing in front of a red background.

The real life Eastern Snipe was created by Bob Baker Marionettes and went on tour in a glass case with Tyler for fans to view

A man looking at a display of colorful birds inside an enclosure, smiling and observing the birds closely.

the album art & packaging

The term "snipe hunting" most commonly refers to a practical joke or a fool's errand, in which a person is sent on a fruitless mission. Though snipes are real birds, the joke's success relies on the gullible victim not knowing this. As we were getting into the story of this album, Tyler wanted to reference turkeys you would hunt in Appalachia, but in a more fantastical sense. Each turkey shown is conceptualized by Tyler himself.

The cover and interior painting was done by Erik Sandberg. Theyre wanted a study that featured his “trophies”. The interior painting is a scene of the band going and hunting that Eastern Snipe.

A man in a suit sits in a vintage leather armchair in a richly decorated library with bookshelves, animal skulls, and mounted horns on the walls. A large dog lies on the floor nearby, and a decorative chair with a dog figurine is beside him. The room has warm wooden walls, a patterned rug, and various decorative items.

A man sitting in a large office or study, surrounded by bookshelves, decorated with mounted animal skulls, and with a dog resting on the floor. There is a table with a decorative dragon sculpture and a guitar hanging on the wall.

Drawing of a man sitting in a living room with a dog lying on the floor, surrounded by books, a table with chairs, and animal skull and antlers displayed on the wall.

A man seated in a leather armchair in a wood-paneled room filled with books, with a dog resting at his feet. The room has decorated shelves, animal skulls, and musical instruments on the walls.

A hunting scene in an autumn forest with a group of hunters on a large rock aiming their weapons at two running deer, surrounded by colorful fall foliage and trees.

the custom wallpaper

Dark floral patterned fabric with light-colored flowers and leaves.

Pattern of embroidered dandelion seed heads with red roses on a black background.

Pattern with dragons and cherry blossoms on a dark background.

For the back of the album package, Tyler wanted no text and a wallpaper pattern. The inspiration was Gucci wallpaper, and we were mimicking the lions they used with the snipes we had done.

At the end, and different wallpaper comps, we decided to move forward with the style of wallpaper Erik had painted in the cover’s study.

A special edition vinyl record album set with two vinyl discs, a fold-out poster with a forest scene, and a booklet with a person sitting in a library surrounded by books.

A white book with the title 'Snipe Hunter' on the cover, placed against a black background.

Illustration of a bird with a human head, featuring eagle-like facial features and a beak, with a mix of bird and human elements in the body.

A mint green vinyl record with a red and gold label in the center that reads 'RCA RECORDS' and 'LONG PLAY'.

Green vinyl record with a red label in the center reading 'RCA Records' and 'Long Play'.

Red vinyl record with RCA Records label featuring the album 'Snipe Hunter'.

Vintage vinyl record with marbleized orange and brown pattern and a red RCA label in the center.

Gold vinyl record with a red central label that reads 'RCA RECORDS' and 'LONG PLAY'.

As an addition, we added a cutout of the Easter Snipe in the more deluxe versions of the record.

I chose the disc colors for the exclusive packages based on the coloring from the artwork. The Coke Bottle Clear is a classic color. The Translucent Forest Green is inspired by hunting in nature. The Red Smoke comes from the rug in the study, while the Oriole mimics the wooden shelving. Finally, the Metallic Gold was the most limited for the Spotify fans first, and a limited number was created.

A vinyl record with a red and black abstract design on the label.

The ultimate exclusive was the red blood liquified vinyl record. Tyler wanted this one as it really stood out while tapping into the “hunter” concept.

Unboxing the album with liquid vinyl

Band unboxing the album

Fan unboxing the indie exclusive album

Creative Director: Tyler Childers
Assistant Creative Director: Emily Cox
Branding, Art Direction, Package Design: Tonianne Tartaro
Album Cover & Interior Paintings: Erik Sandberg
Band Image Photographer: Emma Delevante
Album Cover & Interior Photographer: Bob Delavante
Illustrations: Alexander Derwick