Project Overview
This project began as a personal challenge to take well-known short stories and reinterpret them through illustrated book covers. Over the course of a week, I designed one cover each day during my breaks, concluding with a bonus cover featuring a completely fictional title.
Each cover attempts to capture the emotional core of the story using minimal forms, symbolic imagery, and expressive color. The goal was not to redesign existing covers but to explore visual storytelling through speculative cover design.
Process
Literature Reading → Rough Thumbnails → Final Artwork
Literature reading was important part of the process to understand the theme. This would also enable to visualize motifs/elements that could be used later.
Small quick sketches helped me try different composition, layout and the visual mood for the covers.
During the finalization phase, I focused heavily on the interplay between color theory, art style, and typography. Each layout was refined to ensure a cohesive visual identity while maintaining the unique spirit of the individual narrative.
Process Video
Below is a video of the process for the cover of the story 'The Tell-Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe.
