Henry Fong, the creator of the artwork from II, answers questions about the design process behind the II album package.

How did you get to know the band?

Back in ‘96 when I was studying classical animation at Sheridan College I met Ian in my second year. We hit it off right away because we had very similar tastes in art and music. Of course it is then when I got to know Pezz (Billy Talent’s old name). I fell in love with them right after seeing them live for the first time.  I just love the energy the band gives out on stage; energetic, loud and extremely honest.

What was your inspiration behind the designs?

The music inspired the colour palette and the lyrics shaped my design. Also, early German expressionism cinema, WWII propaganda art and artists like Diego Rivera and Gerald Scarfe are the major inspirations behind the design of this project.

What was the process for creating the artwork?

Ian sent me the music and lyrics and I absorbed them for about two weeks without communicating back to him. I tried to nail down the first impression (listener point of view) that came out of my head when I listened to the music and then put those images down on paper and ended up generating dozens of thumbnail sketches.  That was the first stage of my design process for the album.

Could you explain the technical side of how you created the design?

This is where our teamwork began.  Ian and I met in Montreal for a brainstorming session and he showed me all of his inspirational material and expressed his ideas and I presented him with my thumbnail sketches. The main objective was for me to get the first-hand information from the writer himself and for us to compare our visions (listener versus writer). Basically it was for me to pick Ian’s brain as precisely as possible to find out what the motivation was behind the lyrics.  We spent many hours combining our visions and coming up with the first draft of the designs for each song. 

After the brainstorming session, the real “production” began.  I usually sketch out the composition of the piece on paper then scan it and paint the balance of the elements in Photoshop. Sometimes I start from scratch directly on my computer using a drawing tablet.  During this time I kept in close contact with Ian and the rest of the band and sent them drawings every week for approval.

How did the cover and the album package layout come together?
Teamwork!!!!
The cover design is a very good example of teamwork. Ian came up with the main idea, colour scheme and proposal to show part of the insert cover through a burn hole … a hole made from real burned material… He actually burned many pieces of leather until he got the perfect one! I did the illustration, Dustin Rabin from Toronto took the photos and Kim Kinakin from Artwerks took care of the graphic and layout. He actually took care of the layout for the whole CD package. It was such an amazing experience to be able to share our expertise and came up with something that we all are proud of.

Do you have a favourite out of everything you created for the Billy Talent II album? If so. Which one and why?

I look at this booklet as a storybook. I feel that every piece has its own unique identity but they compliment each other also. I love them all to tell you the truth.  If I absolutely had to pick one or two I would choose “Red Flag” and “Worker Bees”.  I fell in love with the songs right away and their melodies suit my painting style very much. They both have a very strong revolutionary feel to them as well which is one of my favour subject matters to paint.

What is your background in design and where do you work now?

I’ve been drawing all of my life, my brother and I used to draw everywhere in our home until one day we discovered a beautiful white wall in the living room. We decided to express ourselves in a big way!! When my parents discovered our wonderful mural, they immediately put us in all kinds of painting and drawing classes. I’m really grateful for that because it gave me a strong drawing foundation for art school.
After high school, I studied illustration and photography at Art Centre in Toronto and worked as a freelance illustrator in Toronto for a few years. Then I went to Sheridan College to study classical animation. After I graduated in 1999 I moved to Montreal to work on a 3D animation project as a lighting artist and started working as a freelance illustrator for films, documentaries and advertising.  I’m currently working at Ubisoft in the cinematic department as a Storyboard/Concept artist.

What does everyone think?

Hmmm…. Well everybody I’ve shown the drawings to seem to like them so far! Now I’m eager to find out what the Billy Talent fans think.