On the commute from home to campus, and then back again, I’ve had time to read. I had missed reading regularly! The cover of the novella I’m presently reading (a UK Penguin edition (and translation) of Bohumil Hrabal’s Closely Watched Trains) is composed of a photomontage. I’ve been thinking about what I’ll read next, and how many books will catch my eye for their cover.
Chip Kidd created the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton silhouette for the 1990 science fiction novel Jurassic Park – the same dinosaur’s silhouette was used to create the park’s logo used Steven Spielberg’s film adaption. The inspiration for the skeleton silhouette came from a visit to a New York museum, and a non-fiction dinosaur book purchased while there.
I have never looked for in-depth information on graphic designers who work with publishers and authors in the past. It’s something worth looking into. With a quick search however, I did find an insightful video published by Random House; with commentary by their own book cover designers.
In this short video, The Art of Cover Design, a small number of Random House book cover designers’ insights; Robbin Schiff, Chip Kidd, Christopher Brand, and Peter Mendelsund tell us about making book covers they feel will have the most impact and most importantly, “last”.
“You never really want to call out a character in full, because a very important part of reading is being able to imagine the characters yourself.” – Peter Mendelsund, The Art of Cover Design
In referring to his cover jacket for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Mendelsund remarks “Can you get away with a day glow cover, on a book like this?” and it’s taking such risks that arguably make the first edition book cover stand out.
Peter Mendelsund has created many designs for books whose authors are no longer around to discuss choices with. I imagine it is both freeing and daunting – if one doesn’t limit one’s own routes and alternatives to the endless possibilities of a design.
I’ve been thinking to myself, it would be nice to create some art for the covers of books that I am fond of. Or maybe books that I have been newly introduced to… It would be worth fiddling with my schedule to find time to create some book cover artworks, even rough drafts, and share them online.
Are there books that you feel you’d like to design a cover for…?
DESIGN WORKS 