I had the wonderful opportunity to illustrate artwork for singer-songwriter Gustavo Guerrero (now known as Gustavo Moradel) for his single titled "Tierra Prometida" ("Promised Land").

Gustavo Guerrero was born in a small town in Honduras in April of 1992. After being raised by his aunt, Gustavo became an immigrant to America at the age of 12 after he moved to South Carolina to live with his parents. Gustavo's love for music became apparent early in life when at the age of 6 he created his own drum set out of paint cans and kitchen pots and pans. Hiding in a closet, Gustavo taught himself how to play on his uncle's forbidden guitar. While attending high school, he found refuge in the music room as he learned more about music, himself, and North American culture. As a DREAMer he is passionate about advocating for human rights, immigration reform, and civil and political rights. He is inspired by musical legends such as Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Jorge Drexler, and Juan Luis Guerra. His bilingual cover of John Lennon's hit song, "Imagine" with Youtuber, Alex G., has reached over 8.4 million views (as of June 2021).

The goal of the single artwork was to create a scene of a young man looking out towards a promised land in the distance. On the left you can see some of the initial inspiration patterns, colors, and images. To keep the artwork simple and create a feeling of distance between the boy and the city, we left an open field. This was the impact we were looking for instead of placing additional colors/patterns to fill in the space. 

I hand lettered the title "Tierra Prometida" in cursive up in the night sky to evoke this idea/dream of a "Promised Land". The title's style also compliments the overall look of the illustration which is drawn a bit like a page from a children's storybook.

Check out more of Gustavo's music on Spotify!