Developing Covers for Novels:
The cover of a book is typically the first relationship the reader has with the world that hides just behind it. With this in mind, I developed book covers for two authors awaiting to publish their first novels. After meeting with them individually, I knew I wanted to incorporate mystery within each cover to help build interest with the reader. However, since each story varied in genre, I had to come up with a solution that would fit the world these authors manifested.
An Unabridged Guide to the Weird and Unexplained
The inspiration for this novel, coming from media like Twin Peaks and The X-Files, encouraged me as a designer to play with the reader’s expectations. I was particularly interested in designing a cover that mimicked the style 19th century leather and felt- bound books. From the reader’s perspective, I wanted this book to look out of place when on the shelves of bookstores, as if it wasn’t supposed to be displayed. To achieve this historic and worn look, I paid particular attention to the textures of the typography and frame and produced an embroidered effect that made it look as though the detailing was hand stitched into the cover.
Five Shots
Sticking to the theme of mystery, Five Shots depicts a post-apocalyptic world due to an asteroid colliding with Earth. Rather than designing a cover that is filled with disastrous destruction, I opted to reflect a quieter landscape. Death, represented by the skull of an elk, still takes center stage. However, everything depicted needed to appear natural to allude the reader from predicting the actual cause of decay.
My main focus on this cover was to emphasize flora. When incorporating the photo of the skull into the forest scene, I needed it to interact with the mossy surroundings. By incorporating vines of moss, flowers, and grass growing throughout the skull, the two visuals blended into one medium. This was also supported by paying close attention to lighting, especially the halo effect found on the upper-right antler. The final touch I added was the spores that cover the scene. By including this, the entire landscape is engulfed by the life of nature.