A crucial moment in the life of a new play or musical is the moment it goes from being just a title to having title or key art. Key art may change dramatically over the life of a play, but just having a visual identity for the property is as essential as having a logo for a new business. Here's a look at some of my process for the creation of key art for Hay Fever: A New Musical.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cf9ae2a661c17da0268d441dbd3d0912/c999cfbc-6422-4bdc-bd2d-905bcb5a1834_rw_1920.jpg?h=4becc546a248fd037b7bf5ad9b777bab)
Every design starts with a sketch. I do them quickly; its a visual way of conceptually metabolizing the task at hand. I'm looking for something grounded in the world of the play and to leave my preconceptions behind.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cf9ae2a661c17da0268d441dbd3d0912/114c5af5-e05c-4ea8-ada2-26030b34e9ba_rw_1920.jpg?h=4bc3f97d5284fbe64c1668c6730b79f2)
It's essential to convey the tone of the play but it is almost impossible to visually embody abstract ideas like "wit," "whimsy," or "humor,"-- focusing on plot elements like "romance" can become active visuals.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cf9ae2a661c17da0268d441dbd3d0912/262c8b59-43bc-4540-be36-9d2685b78109_rw_1920.jpg?h=56bccfedfb6dbb646449b17e015ce879)
Color is always essential to mood but it's also got to be replicated consistently across different media types. Here, at left a more CMYK friendly version of the moonlit colorway at right. Notice also that the relationships of the silhouettes have become slightly ambiguous; do they love each other or hate each other? In this case, the ambiguity is relevant to the story.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cf9ae2a661c17da0268d441dbd3d0912/e1a2e512-bcf0-4bfd-b788-91b6da05c77a_rw_1920.jpg?h=a794be36cdf6c8771ee20b7b2b9113f6)
Here's the final lockup for Hay Fever, sans authors credits. While the relationship between the characters is subjective the monochromatic title treatment and art deco window suggests period, setting, and mood.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cf9ae2a661c17da0268d441dbd3d0912/876da493-7372-4411-b8d4-9afe03654ad5_rw_1920.jpg?h=3bdcb59fad97815707722130786c6d0e)
The final style sheet for Hay Fever, shown here with the author's credits. I like to note typefaces, and key colors for other designers as a time-saving step for the future.