The moon, as it is seen from this eclectic planet, is a barren wasteland that offers almost nothing to the people of Earth. Although people often gaze at the moon in awe of its compelling illumination, almost all of them would never think to venture there because of how desolate it appears. To most, the thought of a solitary existence not only frightens people, but also saddens them. There is a traditional inclination that people have to seek the attention and/or comfort of other people, as well as inclusion in society, to feel appreciated and content. In contrast with this standard preference, however, some individuals are completely satisfied and untroubled with their seclusion. Despite the overwhelming consensus that deems loneliness to be associated with negative sentiments, such as dejection and anguish, the famous hip-hop artist, Kid Cudi, uses a strategic contrasting color scheme, the elements of line and form, and basic, yet profound figures, in the artwork for his album Man on the Moon-The End of Day, to illustrate his peculiar indulgence in his detachment from society.

The implementation of a color scheme plays a crucial role in the interpretation of this visual text. On the album cover for Man on the Moon-The End of Day, Kid Cudi applies a color scheme that is primarily based off of contrast to portray his unusual feeling of pleasure from solitude. He uses a diverse array of shades and colors within all distinct aspects of the album cover. For example, a part of the foreground of the artwork contains an image of a full moon. This single component from this polychromatic album cover encompasses a variety of colors; the moon is colored in with bright orange and white, along with a small vibrant mixture of lavender and bright magenta at the bottom edge. Another instance, in which sundry colors are used, is in the mid-ground of the album cover; this part of the mid-ground consists of a gauzy nebulous cloud bearing dim hues of red, yellow, light blue and hints purple. Furthermore, Kid Cudi even exercises these variations of shades and colors within the ubiquitous background of the artwork. The whole backdrop of the album cover consists of the depths of outer space filled with copious stars; however, Kid Cudi utilizes a different shading pattern to make the stars on the left half of the album cover distinctly dim. By employing these variations of color and shading patterns in different aspects of the album cover, Kid Cudi could easily incorporate a color and shading contrast pattern in the album cover. The contrast in the color scheme consists of two groups; the first group includes dim or dark colors and the second group includes bright or vibrant colors. To illustrate, as mentioned before, part of the foreground consists of the full moon, which possesses bright and vibrant colors. The other aspect, in the foreground, is the face of Kid Cudi. This facet, as shown in the image, is comprised of dark colors, matching the contrast pattern implemented throughout the album cover; it is stained by the colors of violet, dark blue and dark red with small patches of black, lightly shaded over the cheek and forehead. Similarly, in the mid-ground, the dim hues, of the nebulous cloud, contrast with the beaming light, of the sun, to correspond with the pattern. Likewise, in the background, the dim stars, of the left half of the background, contrast with the bright stars, of the right half of the background, to conform to the pattern. This contrast pattern between the elements of the artwork for Man on the Moon-The End of Day, along with the organization of these elements, contributes to evoking a particular range of moods, or feelings, within the album cover, specifically moods or feelings that pertain to Kid Cudi. Based on the colors and organization of the image, the left half of the album cover, which is made up of dark and dim colors, induce feelings of misery and dissatisfaction; however, the right half of the album cover, which contains bright and vibrant colors, engenders feelings of contentment and satisfaction. Through this color scheme, Kid Cudi illustrates the different sentiments that can be felt when one is alone, including the feeling of gratification.

 Kid Cudi continues to justify his position, through the album, by establishing connections between the moods generated from the color scheme and specific components of the album cover. Even though the color scheme is imperative for recognizing the moods, or feelings, of the artwork for Man on the Moon-The End of Day, neither the color scheme nor the contrast can help discern the precise origins of the sentiments within the album cover. Other elements of art must used to detect individual perspectives within this artwork; the elements that assist in identifying these different perspectives are the elements of line and shape. Looking at this artwork using the elements of line and shape helps in picking out distinct perspectives because these elements divide into separate constituents within a particular artwork. First, the element of line helps distinguish different scenes, or perspectives, the image. The line used in the artwork for Man on the Moon-The End of Day is located in center of the image; it is jagged line that runs vertically down the right most edge of Kid Cudi’s face. This line creates a border that splits the image into two parts. Although the color scheme already shows the two halves, it only indicates a difference in mood. This line running vertically through the middle of the album cover shows that there are two different perspectives of the picture; the left side perspective is focused on the face of Kid Cudi, the dim nebulous cloud and the dimmer outer space, while the right side perspective is focused on the full moon, the beaming sun and the brighter outer space. Unlike the element of line, the element of shape creates borders around two-dimensional objects with the visual text. This, in turn, identifies and emphasizes different perspectives within the image. In the case of the artwork for Man on the Moon-The End of Day, the merged image of Kid Cudi’s face and the full moon, along with the nebulous cloud, are recognized as two individual perspectives, or figures, within the image. The foundation of various perspectives through lines and shapes enables the moods that the color scheme provokes to couple with certain entities in this artwork. Through these connections between color scheme and geometrical elements, Kid Cudi illustrates that his figure is associated with the feeling of satisfaction.  

The hip-hop artist continues to further validate his unorthodox credo through the relationships between the figures and perspectives of the album cover. The total composition of the figure of Kid Cudi, in this artwork, is established to be both his face and the full moon, with the full moon representing the back of his head, or his thoughts. Although they are linked together, the face of Kid Cudi and the full moon are part of two different perspectives; the first perspective shows the external perception of Kid Cudi’s loneliness and the second perspective is the internal perception. The left half or first perspective of the image shows the face of Kid Cudi and the dim nebulous cloud, back in the distance. Kid Cudi’s face shows that he is paying no attention to distant nebulous cloud and continues to gaze into empty space; this distant relationship between his face and the nebulous cloud resembles that of him and society. While he stares into empty space, the distant nebula in the album cover, symbolic of society, observes the disengaged face of Kid Cudi from afar. Due to this separation and the preconceived beliefs on isolation, the perception of him and his emotions from the outside world are assumed to be filled with misery and sadness; this misconstrued impression is why Kid Cudi’s face is covered with a fusion of dark colors. However, the right half or the second perspective of the image shows Kid Cudi’s perspective on his own loneliness. The illuminating colors of orange and white in the second perspective of the image indicate that thoughts of contentment and satisfaction are stemming from his situation shown in the first perspective of the image. These lively colors and shades show the artist’s affinity for seclusion, unlike those in the first perspective of the image. 

Through the connections between different elements and aspects of the artwork for Man on the Moon-The End of Day, Kid Cudi demonstrates his belief that loneliness is bliss. The color scheme he uses in the album cover entails the varying attitudes towards loneliness, including society’s attitude as well as his own. The lines and shapes he incorporates generate different perspectives, both of and in the artwork, and give purpose to the moods conceived from the color scheme. He further infuses this notion that satisfaction can stem from loneliness in the album cover through the usage of metaphorical figures. The album cover for Man on the Moon-The End of Day illustrates that the cliché impressions associated with loneliness do not always hold to be true. Through the artwork for his album, Kid Cudi shows that it is possible for people to embrace and enjoy loneliness.          
