Book Cover and Poster after Presenting
Book Cover
Poster
Rationale Of My Final Design
In order to produce my book cover two activities were essential. Firstly I needed to reed the book and have a thorough understanding of the major concepts; the plot and the characters. Secondly I needed to be fully aware of the theory of visual communication which we have covered this term in order to produce a book cover which was representative of the book and had the maximum possibility to engage a potential buyer/ reader because of the design of the cover.
I needed to consider semiotics which is conveying meaning through the use of symbols and is therefore a type of communication. I used this with the church and cross which is a signifier that conveys international symbol of Christianity. In terms of the book the cross and the church signified friendship, humanity, forgiveness and security which were all important themes in the story, however the fire with it’s knife like flames symbolised violence, chaos and death.
The choice of the orang/ yellow flames in one sense reflected the comfort and security of the church but as they are flames shown inside and outside of the church, they also represented danger and death. Colour is a powerful communication tool because humans take in about 70% of all information through their eyes. The use of warm comforting reds, yellows and oranges is in total contrast to the effect of fire destroying a building and burning human flesh.
I chose a grey as the colour of the church because this colour is often associated with the emotions of coldness and discomfort as it is an un inviting colour but i strongly think that the opposite is the case. This cold grey church was the place that offered love and protection whilst the warm tones of the fire represented danger and death, the opposite of what the viewer might first think.
I decided to use red for the text as red would represent the danger that some of the characters face in the story. Also by using red on the dark grey background, I thought it would stand out as the colours are in contrast with each other. Red could also represent blood in the story as Jonny stabs a Soc and Dallas gets shot by the police; both of these events contribute to the strong theme of danger throughout the book.
The font I used on my book cover was “Sansation” which is a san serif font, by using this font in bright red it would stand out at the top of the cover and on the dark grey background. This font is simple and effective similar to the fonts that had been used on the previous covers that were published. By using a san serif font there are no confusing flicks or curls in the text that would prevent the audience from reading the title making it clearly legible and fit for purpose.
I did not stick to a clear grid when creating my book cover but I took into consideration that readers of English text read from the top of a page in the left hand corner and across the page working their way down to the bottom right of the page. This is why I added the start of the title in the top left next to the Puffin book logo and made sure that although there is not much text on the page that the main image was in the centre of the front cover to maximise the space I have to use. I have also made sure that the background and the flames both go right to the edge of the cover so I have not left any blank white space which helps the theme of the book continue throughout the cover from front across the spine and the back cover.
After presenting my finished book cover and poster to the class i decided to make some changes to my final designs. first of all i took in to consideration that people found the red text placed on the dark grey background hard to read and so changed the main text on my cover from red to white and for the title i used red as a shadow effect. I also changed the font for the title on my book to “Baskerville” as this helped if fit better when being white.
The second main change i made was to add an image of a gun to my back cover as this helped keep the stile i used for the church on the fount cover, throughout the whole of my book cover. I placed the image of the gun just under the blurb on the back cover as this meant i had to move the text up and it would be easer to read placed on the dark background rather than left over the flames.
The final change i made to my book cover was to remove some of the flames as by having them in layers made the cover too bright and overpowering. once i had removed the back layers of flames i found that they looked more like flames rather than just orange and yellow shapes.
Mock ups
Mock up 1
This is the first mock up i created. it shows the full layout of how i want my cover to look. on the front cover it shows a burning church and you can see through the windows and doors that the flames are inside the church. on the back cover of my book i will place a box over the flames and lower the opacity so it looks as if the flames are behind the box where i will place the text.
Mock up 2
This is the second mock up I created, it shows a better view of how the church will look with the fire showing through the windows and doors. it also shows where I would put the text. I am also planning to change the image of church I would use to suit the setting of the book. I am also gong to create the back cover in a similar style to this but include the text box instead of a church.
My chosen colours
These are the colours I have chosen for my book cover. I have included black and grey witch will be used for the background and outline of the church they are dark colours that are associated with cold emotions and bad things they are in contrast to the bright warm colours I have used of orange red and yellow which although they look warm and often represent good things on my book cover they will represent danger and death. I have also included white as the church as it is often a neutral colour but will represent the comfort and safety the church provided.
My chosen font
Sansation
I have chosen to use the font "Sansation" for my book cover as it is informal and simple which helps let the main image stand out. it is also easy to read which means its suitable for the audience and makes it clear what the book is called. by using a font that is not more informal shows that there is some serious themes in the book like when there was the fire and when characters die. It is a san serif font and I feel this makes it look more modern.
Fonts
When looking for fonts for my book cover I looked back at the covers that have already been used for the book and I found that they were all simple and bold letters that would stand out from a distance. i also found that although they were not all serif fonts that they all looked slightly formal and all were clearly legible so that the reader would automatically read it. these are the fonts from the existing book covers.
Fonts I looked at
I Then looked at these fonts i found on dafont.com that i thought were sticking to the slightly formal look and were easy to read as i felt they would fit in well with my cover.
This font "Bookmark" has a slight curve to all the letters even though they are thick bold letters. this means it would stand out on the front cover of a book. it also has a slightly informal look as it is a san serif font but still simple and easy to read.
This is the second font I looked at "Sansation" and i like this font because it is slightly thinner than the other fonts I found, but would still stand out as it it uses simple clear letters. it is also a san serif font as i feel they look more modern and would attract the target audience.
I also looked at this font "Bebas Neue" because it has big bold letters and they look like they would stand out on a crowded book shelf. it also is a san serif font which would work well for the title of my book but i then found that this font was only in upper case letters and would distract from the rest of my cover.
Testing the fonts
Here I have tested out each of the fonts I looked at by writing "The Outsiders" with each of them, this helps me get a better idea of how it would look on my cover.
Fonts for Authors
When I was researching book covers I found that some authors used the same font for all of their books so that they were easy to recognise as a book by that author, This works well as a book may be bought because the reader has prevousaly enjoyed books by that author.
Enid Blyton
This shows how the author Enid Blyton has used the same font for the books she wrote so that people will recognise it as a book she has written. They are all very different books and use different fonts for the title so that they still fit in with the story and still appeal to the target audience.
The Book I have Chosen
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The book I have chosen to create a cover for is “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. I have chosen this book because I feel as it is a children's book I will be able to create a “fun” more cartoon like style of book cover, that will allow me to be more creative and not have to create a cover where everything looks realistic. I also feel that although the book is set in the past and first published in 1967 that the main themes of the book are relevant to the themes present in the current day, for example friendship and gangs. Also by picking the book that I prefer will help me to be focused with the project and as I am more interested in it I will come up with more ideas for the final book cover I am creating.
Existing covers for "What A Carve Up" by Jonathan Coe
These are some of the book covers i found when i researched "What A Carve Up"
Cover 1
This is the first cover i looked at for "What A Carve Up". The background is a faded face of a woman on pink and her face takes up all of the background of the cover. the main image on the front cover is of a woman standing to the side and is trying to cover her self up with a cover whilst looking over hew shoulder and out towards the reader. this gives the impression that she is the main character in the book and it looks like she has been disturbed whilst in bed because she is covering her self with covers and the way she looks over her shoulder as if to see who has just walked in. There is also an image of a man placed in the bottom right corner of the book and he looks as if he is shearing some kind of helmet. This cover is quite simple as they are just images of people on the pink faded face background. the cover also includes just enough text for the title and the authors name. they are written in 2 different fonts but both keep the formal feel to the book.
cover 2
This is the second book cover i looked at and is very similar to the first except this has one image of the woman trying to cover her self and looking over her shoulder. on this image they have included the background from that original image of her standing next to the unmade bed. this book includes a lot more text and they have incorporated the pink by using it as the main text colour. pink is often associated with love and romance which fits well with the image of the woman by the bed as it could add the emotions to her and makes the reader think she is in love. Along with the author and the title of the book the cover also tells you a short few lines about the story to get the readers attention and to make them want to read on and also tells us that the author was a best selling author.
cover 3
This cover is very different to the first 2 i looked at and dose not have the image of the woman by the bed. the main image on this cover is a young boy looking through a magnifying glass which i feel suits the book more as it is about the family history and they are trying to find out what really happened (finding clues). the image of the young boy is in black and white and has been placed on a cloudy/ watery effect background of blues and greens. The title of the text is quite big and placed at the top of the book in a thick red font making it stand out and powerful. on the left of the main image it has a quote " 'Big, hilarious, intricate, furious, moving' - Guardian" This will attract an audience who also read the Guardian as they will feel its well recommended.
Other covers
These are some of the other covers i found when researching the book . . .
Existing covers for "What A Carve Up" by Jonathan Coe
Cover 1
cover 2
This is the second book cover i looked at and is very similar to the first except this has one image of the woman trying to cover her self and looking over her shoulder. on this image they have included the background from that original image of her standing next to the unmade bed. this book includes a lot more text and they have incorporated the pink by using it as the main text colour. pink is often associated with love and romance which fits well with the image of the woman by the bed as it could add the emotions to her and makes the reader think she is in love. Along with the author and the title of the book the cover also tells you a short few lines about the story to get the readers attention and to make them want to read on and also tells us that the author was a best selling author.
cover 3
Other covers
Existing covers for "The Outsiders"
I started researching to find the existing covers that had been used for "The Outsiders" and these are some of the books i found.
Existing covers for "The Outsiders"
I started researching to find the existing covers that had been used for "The Outsiders" and these are some of the books i found.
Cover 1
This is the first cover i found for "The Outsiders" it uses a main image with 3 of the main characters leaning out of an open window. The image that has been used is in black and white which helps make the characters centre of attention, also by using a black and white image it gives off a slightly dark feel to the book that could represent some of the main themes like fighting, gangs and how some of the characters die. The cover also uses red for the font which could be representative of blood or danger as in the story there is a fire and some of the children are stuck in the burning church. The cover uses simple fonts that stand out and are effective as they are easy to read. They have also included yellow in the bottom right that says "Anniversary 40th Edition" This will attract the reader as although it is not a new book it was popular and so it was re-lanched.
Cover 2
This is the second cover i looked at for "The Outsiders" it also features 3 of the main characters on the front cover, but this time they are drawings/ cartoon like and not a photograph. The blue background has faint images of other characters from the book which helps show the difference between the characters/ gangs. This cover has also used red text that might represent the themes of danger and death from the book, this cover has used a slightly more bold font that would stand out on a shelf in a book shop. They have tilted the word "Outsiders" which is placed across the top of the book and this might draw more attention to it but also helps make it less formal without taking away the seriousness of some of the themes.
cover 3
This is the 3rd of the book covers i looked at, it uses bright colours where as most of the covers i found used dark colours for most of the cover. The top of the cover is light blue which looks as if it could be the sky where as the bottom of the book fades in to orange which is used as a sunset. In the story they often mention the sunset and how for both gangs they see the same sunset every day. Orange is a warm colour and often representative of good things and warm safe feelings but it could also represent danger that the characters face, death and the church fire. The cover includes some of the main characters and they are decided on to the 2 colours orange and blue, with a large image of 1 character in the middle as if to join the 2 groups/ gangs together. This cover also has big font at the top of the book that says the outsiders in white but this time the text for the title and the author have been separated and the authors name is at the bottom of the cover along with text that tells the reader the book has also been made in to a film.
More covers
These are some of the other covers i found when researching. I found that there had also been another compression brief that asked to create a cover for this book, so some of the covers i found were not used but had been ideas that had the potential to be a published cover.
Double Page Cover
These books all use 1 main image for the cover, across the front, back and spine of the book. This is useful to make the cover flow and fit in as a whole cover. A double page cover is often used to draw the audience in and catch their attention. they will see an image that is placed on the front cover and follows over the spine to the back cover of the book. The person who picks the book up will follow the image across the book to where they can read more about the book before opening it.
Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology
This book uses both the back and front cover of the book as 1 main image. This is useful to make the cover flow and fit in as a whole cover. the audience will look at the cover with the waves and then turn the book to see where they lead and to see if there is another boat on the back of the book.
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
This book also uses an image that is both on the back and front of the book. on the front cover there is a hat in the top right of the book and under it is what looks like it is a road, but when you turn to the back cover you find that there is a hand and the road was actually an arm and the stitching on a top. on the hand there is a blue butterfly that stands out and the audiences attention has been led from the hat in the top corner of the front page down the arm/ road to the hand witch holds the bright blue “glowing” butterfly.
Examples
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