Project One
Book Cover Redesigns
To expand my portfolio, I started redesigning covers for books that shaped my worldview; whether they are comforting and nostalgic like the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, or resparked old passions like Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, all of these books meant something to me at some point (and my own copies are well loved). Each design includes whimsical acrylic paintings with uniquely designed hand lettering, reflecting my willingness to experiment with new ideas and find imaginative solutions to various design problems.
Project hail Mary
Why This Book?
After reading Project Hail Mary, I knew I had to add it to my list of book cover designs. Before this book, I didn’t read much sci-fi, and I honestly only picked this book up because the movie trailer led me to believe this was a cosmic horror in space (it’s definitely not). I fell in love with Weir’s prose, and the book reignited my childhood love of all things outer space. I began to think more on why I’ve avoided sci-fi books for so long, considering I do have a baseline interest in all things science, and started thinking about how these books were designed. There was a debate following Project Hail Mary’s movie release about the gendering of fantasy and sci-fi genres, even though they’re typically grouped together, and sit on a spectrum between high fantasy and high sci-fi. A lot of people pointed out that, since fantasy was seen as a genre “enjoyed by women,” it usually held less value than other sci-fi books (unless it’s written by the infamous J.R.R Tolkien). I began to analyze how fantasy and sci-fi book covers were made with these demographics in mind, coming across frequent editions at my job in a used bookstore. With this design, I wanted to eliminate some of the more masculine-appealing looks of typical sci-fi covers, while still making it very apparent that this book was still in the sci-fi genre, since the movie adaptation created a large female fanbase for this book..
I start all my designs with a pinterest board of inspiration, pulling up visual imagrey to draw on. On the right is my top three inspirations: 80s sci-fi covers, this specific NASA poster, and a flowy space image with contrasting colors. From there, I began to brainstorm ideas.
Sketches and Thumbnails
Painting and Typography
Once I have an idea, I create a traditional painting. During the process, I start handlettering on my iPad, checking to make sure as the painitng progresses, the text will still compliment it.
Then, I’ll ask my friends and family to critique the piece, making sure its legible, and adjusting the photo colors to create the look I want.
Once I have an idea, I create a traditional painting. During the process, I start handlettering on my iPad, checking to make sure as the painitng progresses, the text will still compliment it.
Final Touches
From my pinterest board, I start sketching ideas that capture the vibe I want for the cover, and think about how I want to include typography. From there, I use my iPad to come up with a color pallete, then move on to the painting.
Inspiration
After countless back and forth, I come up with a final design, and use Adobe Illustrator to create a vector of my text. Then, I bring the design into InDesign to create my final dust jacket.
