About
"The ultimate act of magic is to create something from nothing" - Alan Moore
My name is Will Hart and I am a London-based, freelance graphic designer and illustrator working under the artist name Subliminal Vision.
My portfolio includes album cover art, brand logo design, clothing graphics, poster design and archaeological illustration.
My work draws from a wide range of influences dating back to when I first discovered comic book art and skateboard graphics growing up. This evolved into a love of graphic design, music and film. I later studied fine art at school and focused on painting Op Art. At university I worked as an archaeological illustrator on projects including the BVAR Maya Project in Belize, Central America.
Some of my biggest inspirations include Aubrey Beardsley, Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud, Brian Froud, John Howe, Alan Moore, Jim Phillips, Mark ‘Fos’ Foster, Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch.
My creative process combines a ‘human’ hand-drawn approach with modern, digital techniques depending on what the design requires. Every brief is different so my primary aim is to create artwork that works best for your project. I want you to love your design and love using it.
I consult closely with my clients at every stage to ensure your ideas are heard and brought to life in the final work.
I prepare commissions for both digital and print purposes including use for websites, social media, digital print and clothing.
I am always excited to take on new projects, delve into research and learn from each experience, so please feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss your ideas.
Symbols & Meaning
Within the artwork for Subliminal Vision you will find symbols, points of reference and deeper meaning beyond just aesthetically-pleasing images. There is a depth and hidden language within the designs to communicate a message or story to the viewer.
The album cover illustration for ‘Stories From The Lockdown’ is designed to symbolise the songs and the situation that the music was made in.
There are 10 birds to represent the 10 songs of the album. The birds appear to be flying upwards as if the songs or stories are being set free from the book.
The plant is Sage (‘Sage of the Diviners’) associated with health, purity and wisdom in British folklore. The plant growing up from the book represents the natural earth slowly healing as everything harmful produced by humans is turned off during the lockdown. The birds maybe working together to protect the plant as it grows. The sage also appears again framing the album cover.
The birds appear to be circling the plant in a spiral shape or murmuration. This is to represent another important symbol within the drawing…The Rod of Asclepius (the Greek god of healing and medicine). The symbol of a snake circling around a rod is a common symbol of medicine and health in modern times and used by the World Health Organisation as their logo. In the illustration the rod is replaced by an organic plant and the serpent by the birds.
The framing around the album cover is designed to suggest a window as if the viewer is looking out (or into) the image from another space.
The aim of this symbology and meaning is to create an image that not only supports but enhances the music it was intended for.