Ditch A.I. Art For The Masters & Chicago Artists: A Better Way To Present Your Music

The Art Institute Moment

I was walking through the Art Institute of Chicago last week, surrounded by paintings that have moved people for over a century. Van Gogh’s brushstrokes. Monet’s water lilies. Klimt’s golden patterns. These works stopped me in my tracks.

Later that day, I was scrolling through new music releases online and noticed how many album covers looked identical. That same A.I.-generated style everywhere. The slightly off proportions. The weird lighting. The generic patterns that all blur together.

It hit me: why are so many musicians settling for robot-generated images when the greatest art ever made is sitting right there, free to use?

Your Album Cover Is Your First Impression

Here at Untold Stories Recordings, I watch musicians pour everything into their recordings. Hours perfecting takes. Days fine-tuning mixes. Weeks getting the sound exactly right.

Your album art isn’t decoration. It’s the face of your work. It’s what people see before they hear a single note. A thoughtful cover tells listeners you care about every detail of your music.

Generic A.I. art says the opposite.

Solution One: Use The Masters

Here’s something most musicians don’t know: any artwork published before 1930 belongs to everyone. It’s called public domain, and it means you can use it commercially without paying licensing fees or worrying about copyright issues.

Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”? Free to use.

Monet’s garden paintings? Free to use.

Klimt’s portraits? Free to use.

These aren’t just pretty pictures. They’re pieces of human history. When you use one for your album, you’re connecting your music to something bigger than yourself. You’re saying your indie rock album belongs in the same conversation as the artists who changed how we see the world.

That’s a statement A.I. can’t make.

How To Access Public Domain Art

I created a new tab in my free D.I.Y. Musicians Packet with direct links to download high-resolution images. No jumping through hoops. No confusing legal questions.

The guide includes access to:

Wikimedia Commons (thousands of paintings, all searchable)

The Met (one of the best art collections on Earth)

Rijksmuseum (Dutch masters and more)

Art Institute of Chicago (right here in our city)

Each source lets you download images big enough for album covers, posters, or whatever you need. The quality is professional. The selection is massive. And it’s all legal.

Perfect for demos, mixtapes, or full releases when you want something with real artistic weight behind it.

Solution Two: Hire Chicago Artists

Public domain art is great, but I also wanted to support the incredible visual artists right here in Chicago. The designers and illustrators who create original album covers and deserve to make a living from their work.

So I’m building a second tab in the same toolkit: a directory of local Chicago visual artists.

This isn’t a random list. It’s a working resource that connects musicians who need album art with artists who create it. Everyone benefits.

When you hire a Chicago artist for your album cover, you get something no one else has. Custom work made specifically for your music. No templates. No A.I. patterns. Just original art from someone who took the time to understand what you’re creating.

That’s worth paying for.

How The Artist Directory Works

The D.I.Y. Musicians Packet has been downloaded over 5,000 times. It’s a Google Sheet, which means when I add an artist’s name and portfolio link, everyone who has the toolkit sees it automatically.

For Chicago artists, that’s instant exposure to thousands of musicians. Your Instagram or website goes directly to people who need exactly what you create.

For musicians, it means finding local talent is as simple as opening a spreadsheet and browsing portfolios.

No middlemen. No fees. Just community members supporting each other.

If you’re a Chicago-based visual artist who creates album covers, send me your portfolio. Any local artist is welcome. The only requirement is that you’re based in Chicago and you make music-related artwork.

Why Both Options Beat A.I.

A.I. art generators scrape existing work, blend it together, and spit out something that looks like art but has no soul. It’s fast food when your music deserves a home-cooked meal.

The masters offer cultural legitimacy. When someone sees Monet on your album, they know you put thought into the presentation. You made an intentional choice.

Chicago artists offer originality. When someone sees custom artwork, they know you invested in your music. You valued it enough to hire a real person.

Both say you’re serious about what you create.

A.I. says you took the easiest path.

As a Chicago recording studio owner, I see parallels to music production itself. You could use A.I. to generate backing tracks. It would be fast. It would be cheap. But it wouldn’t be yours. It wouldn’t have the imperfections and choices that make music human.

The same goes for your album cover.

Getting Your Free Resources

The D.I.Y. Musicians Packet already includes booking calendars, venue contacts, press templates, media outlets, and promotional guides. Thousands of Chicago musicians have used it to build their careers.

These two new tabs (public domain art and the artist directory) are the latest additions. Everything is free to download from my website.

If you’re working on new music and these resources help you create something you’re proud of, that’s all I’m after. When you’re ready to record that music in a professional space, Untold Stories Recordings is here. We’re Chicago’s most-reviewed music studio, and we’ve spent years helping indie musicians get the sound they hear in their heads onto a recording.

But the toolkit isn’t a sales pitch. It’s genuinely useful whether you record with me or not.

Recording At Untold Stories

Speaking of recording: if you’re putting this much thought into your album art, you probably care just as much about how your music sounds.

We’re located in Pilsen at 1007 West 19th Street. As Chicago’s highest-rated music studio, we work exclusively with serious musicians who understand that quality takes time and investment. Our space is purpose-built for artists who refuse to compromise on their sound.

This is a boutique recording studio. We don’t run assembly-line sessions or chase volume. Every project gets the attention it deserves, whether you’re tracking vocals, recording a full band, or working through complex production.

We handle everything from recording sessions to full mixing and mastering. Some artists come in for single sessions. Others work with us on complete album projects that span months. The approach depends entirely on what your music needs.

Call (872) 444-6316 to discuss your project. We’ll talk about what you’re creating, what you’re hearing in your head, and whether we’re the right fit for bringing it to life.

Your Music Deserves Better

Whether you use Van Gogh or hire a Chicago illustrator, both choices show respect for your work. They say you care about how people experience your music from the very first glance.

A.I. art is easy. But easy rarely creates something memorable.

Your album cover should stop the scroll. It should make someone curious about what they’re about to hear. It should match the effort you put into the recording itself.

That’s what the masters offer. That’s what local artists offer. And that’s what A.I. can’t replicate, no matter how many prompts you type.

Grab the toolkit. Browse the museums. Check out the Chicago artists. Make something that matters.

And when you’re ready to record the music behind that cover, we’ll be here.