Project03: Book Covers

Descriptions

Special Requirements for this project

No comics, manga, video games, graphic novels or any books that have existing artwork associated with them. All covers must use custom imagery. They can be found on the web, but it can't be as easy as just re-purposing existing artwork for the book. So, for example, if you do Harry Potter, you can't reuse the artwork already created for Harry Potter, so if I were you, I wouldn't use Harry Potter.
Thumbnails and roughs must have outlines around them.
Don't forget the Objectives Statement.
Include in your Objectives Statement where you got your imagery from, including a URL if you got it online.

Step 1

Select a genre writer, as in Detective, SciFi, Romance, Young Adult — here's a wikipedia list. Read, or have read, his or her works. Research them.

Step 2

Design three book covers—one for each three different related works by your author.
The covers must express a sense of being a related sequence or series, and yet also express the individuality of each book.
Produce at least five thumbnails for each cover. It might be a good idea to thumbnail 3 at a time, 1 for each iteration of the series, to help establish the commonalities of the series in the early stages. Refine the thumbnails and create two sets of roughs for each conception of the three books in the series. Thumbs can have hand drawn frames, but roughs should have frames drawn with a ruler.
Your solution may be purely typographical, visually driven, or type plus image(s).
Think about the various ways the series could be tied together:

- Through the use of similar images, ie: Illustrations, graphics, photographs, typography
- Through the use of a single technique, ie: woodcut, mezzotint, or torn paper

Step 3

Refine the roughs and create one comp per book.
The covers are 6" x 9" (at 300dpi if your in Photoshop), portrait (vertical) orientation.
You may use black and white, grayscale, or full color.

Step 4

Write an objectives statement. Define the purpose and function of the design solution and the target audience. Think of it as what you would say about what you did and why you did it for a Crit.

Specifications

This project can be done in whatever format you prefer, Photoshop, Illustrator, or on physical media. If using physical media, scan them into Photoshop or illustrator to add your type.

Cover size for all three versions is 6 x 9 inches, the vertical is 9 inches. That's an aspect ratio of 2:3
Create pdfs of your book comps as lastnamefirstinitial_proj03-A.pdf, lastnamefirstinitial_proj03-B.pdf, and lastnamefirstinitial_project03-C.pdf
Scan your sketches and roughs. Name them lastnamefirstinitial_proj03-roughs-a.png (or whatever format you choose), -b, -c (if you need to), and lastnamefirstinitial_proj03-sketches.png
Put all your files into a folder and compress them. Don't forget your objectives statement.

Timeline

Start: Class 20, November 4th

Due: Beginning of Class 27, December 2nd.

Note that this is a project, not an exercise. As such, it will be subject to grading, with a reduction for in grade for turning in late. Also, it will be available for critique in class on the day it is due.