Lens & Pens // Aaron Lowell Denton

Photo by Anna Powell Teeter

In a new series, Lens & Pens, New Commute meets the graphic artists, photographers, and filmmakers that help develop the visual elements and identities for the songwriters and bands we admire.

Today we meet graphic artist Aaron Lowell Denton, the creator behind many of the most iconic show and tour posters and album covers in indie music today.

Do you remember the first concert poster you created?

I don't remember the very first one. I made a bunch when I was a teenager for shows I'd put on in my home town. Sadly I think those are all lost, though I'm sure they weren't much to look at. I think this Mount Eerie poster was the first one I was asked to do for a show I wasn't playing or putting on myself.

My pal Mike Adams set up the show at this old church that was being used as a makeshift woodworking studio. He asked me to do a poster and I remember learning how to trace the outline of the space on photoshop and it taking forever.

Who were your early influences for graphic design and music artwork?

I liked a lot of Milton Glaser pieces before I knew him as a designer. I remember when I was in high school being really fascinated by that iconic Bob Dylan poster. I also loved Robert Crumb illustrations when I was younger and surrealist art.

Is there a piece of work you've created that stands out as most important to establishing your brand in the music industry?

I think this Carriers poster was an important one for me. It's so simple but took me so long to get right. That was one of the first pieces I remember just obsessing over the font choice; like hours going back and forth between options.

When working on an assignment for a band or musician, how does the music of your client impact your design?

It has a big impact. As a general rule I don't take on work from bands I don't like, which is a good way for me to make sure a project has the best odds for success. As a musician myself, I feel like I have a pretty good sensibility for what is going to work visually based on what's happening musically. I can narrow things down quickly based on the vibe of the artist I'm working with, which saves time and just makes everything easier.

Would you describe yourself as a systematic designer or would you consider your processes more fluid and unique for each project? What's the first thing you do when you've agreed to work on a project for a band or musician?

It's more of a loose thing. I try not to get to precise about whatever I'm doing while also keeping things fresh and exciting. Even before I agree to anything I do a lot of research. Obviously I check out the band, read interviews, consider their management or label, and just try to determine if I'm going to vibe with them as people. During that phase I also dig into their existing art and look and think about what's working and what isn't. If everything works and I agree to the commission, I typically just try to come up with something intuitively after thinking about the project for a bit. My process is highly experimental and I try not to plan as much as possible...just keeping in mind the client and feeling my feelings.

How do you approach typeface and lettering design in your work?

It's pure trial and error. Normally I don't deal with it until a composition has come along. In my experience, typefaces reveal themselves as being the correct choice pretty clearly. There's typically only one that really works by the time a design has come together. I just feel it out. If a type pleases me, it stays. Eventually you start to feel like the whole thing falls apart without it. That's when you know you've found *the one*.

Do you work best on computerized or handheld sketching to develop a concept?

I'm completely in the box. All the sketching I do is done on Photoshop, I try to avoid revealing anything that I don't think is done and since I mainly work abstractly, there's not much to talk with clients about until we have a draft.

What are the biggest challenges or inhibitors to your creativity? What ways do you overcome these things and spur creativity?

Seems silly to say but the things that are my biggest inhibitors are simple like I'm hungry or thirsty, or tired. Some days I feel like a child about it...I'll be all upset or stuck on something and then realize 'I haven't eaten in a while' or 'I need to nap now'. I come back and the work always finds a way to get going again. I'm also very picky about my work environment. I work out of an office in my house and it is kinda insanely organized and put together. I'm really affected by work spaces. It would be so hard for me to work in a spot that doesn't visually compel me.

Do you prefer to have a client who has a vision or idea for the product or is independence helpful for your creative processes?

I think a healthy balance between the two is important to keep yourself sharpened as a designer. It's good to have freedom to experiment and grow as an artist. I have a few clients who I know will just let me have my say, so with those I tend to go a little extra because I know whatever I come up with will probably be the final version. I also like clients who have a vision and have decided I'm the one they want to see it out. It can be challenging sometimes to deliver but pushing yourself like that is important I think.

What is one note of advice you wish you could have given yourself at the beginning of your journey developing as a graphic designer?

That's a tough one to answer. I've only been doing this full time for about two years. I still feel like I'm learning...both creatively and on the business side. There's a bunch of technical things I've learned that I wish I knew from the beginning, but I think the process of learning that stuff later makes it even sweeter when get to know it. I spent a lot of time doing things just the way I knew how and I think it helped me develop my eye. I guess I'd tell myself to keep experimenting and challenging yourself. Those two things have been invaluable to me as a designer.

Find Aaron Lowell Denton’s portfolio and webstore.