For this exercise you are going to mock-up a book cover. From your book shelves or the
library choose a book title that appeals to you. Read the blurb on the back of the book
(or the whole book if you have time). Examine the design of the cover to identify what
the brief would be for the illustration and establish the function you want your image to
perform.
You may already have done an illustration you can use or you may be inspired to make a
new one. If you are using one you have already done you may need to modify it in some
way. You may need to play with the colours, edit or adjust the composition or alter the
size or scale. Don’t make changes to the original.
Either copying the design of the cover and adding your illustration or designing the cover
from scratch, make sure that you incorporate the title, author and publisher’s details. If
possible choose a paper for the mock-up as near as possible to that which would be used
for real.
In your learning log note how well your image worked and any technical problems you
had to overcome to make a convincing mock-up.
Brief
As I examined the book cover I wanted to create a mock-up for, I was drawn to H.G. Wells's "The Invisible Man". The vibrant colour palette of the cover, combined with my love for the Penguin classics covers, made it an ideal choice. I studied the design of the book and then wrote a brief that could have been followed to bring this book cover to life.
To view more brief details, please click on the image below.
Brainstorming
My idea is to develop a new illustration for the book based on the story's blurb mentioned at the back. I plan to use a more muted colour palette, focusing on cool colours like blue and purple. This approach aims to convey the sadness and despair the invisible man feels, his thirst for revenge and the impact it has on his mind. These colours will help create a more realistic look for the book cover.
Sketchbook
For the cover's design, I experimented with watercolours to give a blotchy and blooming effect that accurately represents the invisible man's state of mind. I chose blues and purples as the primary colour palette, which was deliberate, as I wanted to convey a specific mood.
To deviate from the usual approach of portraying a man in bandages, I decided to go for a more unique approach by creating a footprint. The impression was made by painting the sole of my trainers and pressing it onto the paper.
I used Adobe Illustrator to remove the background of the footprint impression and import the image to overlay on top of the watercolour background to enhance the effect.
Adobe Photoshop was then used to adjust the layers and utilise the overlay option to blend in the footprint while making it appear "invisible." I maintained the same colour palette to achieve a dark, moody feel that reflected the book's themes.
Book cover
I wanted to make some changes to the Penguin cover. I kept the classic black colour but used only one medium and thin typeface. I also used all capitals and replaced the orange version of the Penguin logo with the black and white version. I opted for a more sophisticated feel by substituting orange with gold for the classics.
I made some thumbnail sketches and experimented with different designs to develop ideas for a book cover.
Putting the cover together
I got excited once I placed my image onto the Penguin branded book cover; see below.
Before finalising the design of my book cover, I decided to get some feedback from a group of book lovers. I showed them a mock-up of the book cover and asked for their opinion. The feedback I received was mostly positive, with many expressing their interest in picking up the book to read. However, some pointed out that the book's spine looked more like water than a footprint, which was the intended design.
Taking their feedback into consideration, I made some changes to the design. I created another mock-up of the book cover. I kept the design simple and classic, this time using only black, white, and gold. Once I was happy with the final design, I placed my image onto the Penguin branded book cover and was pleased with how it looked.
Final mock-up
I opted for a digital mock-up of my cover as opposed to the paper version. I feel it looks more professional and still gives the client a very good idea of how their cover/book will look in real life.
Reflection
Creating a book mock-up was a fun experience, as it allowed me to experiment with my illustration skills and visualise how my artwork would look if it were to be published. I found it fascinating to write a brief for the book I had chosen to base my image on by working in reverse. As a fan of Penguin's branding and how they create their classic books, I was looking forward to the challenge.
During the brainstorming process, I decided to avoid the overused cliché of the man-in-bandages look. Instead, I wanted to give it a fresher and modern twist. I explored different ideas for the cover, and finally, I decided to use a more subdued colour palette to represent the invisible man's frustration and state of mind. I wanted to use a footprint to symbolise his revenge but with an unclear trainer impression to further emphasise his invisibility.
To create the desired effect, I used watercolours to create blooming effects that blended seamlessly. Then, I painted the sole of my trainer and made an impression on paper, which I later digitised using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create more effects with the software. I found this process enjoyable and satisfying, allowing me to experiment with different techniques and create a unique illustration.
The direction I took with the footprint and cool colours altered the look and feel of the book cover, making it stand out and look distinctive. I was happy with the outcome, and the mock-up looked professional. Creating the book mock-up was a great learning experience for me, and I look forward to using my newfound skills in future projects.
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