Book Covers: Text & Illustration

For Research Point 3.3: Typography & Illustration interplay I looked at a variety of book covers to compare how the designers had integrated title and author's name with the cover illustration. The examples below successfully integrate text content and image. I particularly like how the designer has used the magnifying glass to interplay with the 'A' in the title of 'A Medal for Murder', and the use of speech baloons to integrate subtitle and author with illustration in 'Pictures & Words'.

‘A Medal for Murder’ by Frances Brody.

‘Pictures & Words’ by Roanne Bell and Mark Sinclair. Cover illustration by Tom Gauld.

‘As Large as Life’ by Quentin Blake

‘Fungus the Bogeyman’ by Raymond Briggs.

‘The Grapes of Ralph’ by Ralph Steadman.

David Howells

I like how this artist uses the same tool to draw with as he uses to write with. This ensures compatibility and harmony of text with illustration.

Hogarth

 I looked at the work of William Hogarth (1697-1764) to study denotation & connotation (Research Point 3:1)

Gin Lane engraving by William Hogarth 1751.

Beer Street engraving by William Hogarth 1751.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

 The images below are from my research into illustrations used in the various editions of the book 'The Metamorphosis' by Franz Kafka, first published in 1916. My research was conducted for Research point 3.2: Illustration & Narrative in part 3 of my Illustration Level 2 course.

Cover of the 1st edition of Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis) published written by Franz Kafka (1885 - 1924) in 1916. Illustration by  Ottomar Starke. Starke honoured Kafka's wish to not have the transformed Gregor illustrated.

Illustration for ‘The Metamorphosis’. 1946 Illustration by Hans Fronius (1903 - 1988).

 ‘The Metamorphosis’. An illustrated version of Kafka’s famous story, illustrated by Peter Kuper. Published by Three Rivers Press, New York, 2003. ISBN 9781400052998

This is a still taken from the film animation 'The Metamorphosis of Mr Samsa'. The animation was created by using the technique of sand drawing.

‘The Metamorphosis’ published 2006, Penguin Books. Cover illustrator not identified.

 ‘The Metamorphosis’ published 30th March 2005, by Prestwick House, paperback, English edition. Cover photography and design by Larry Knox.

 ‘The Metamorphosis’ Released 20th March 2014, by Fingerprint Classics, English version. Cover illustrator not identified.

‘The Metamorphosis’ published 1st Jan 2000, Penguin books. Cover artist Andrew Davidson.

‘The Metamorphosis’ published 1st March 1972, by Bantam Classics. The cover illustration is a detail of the painting ‘Family Picture’, 1920, by Max Beckmann.

‘Family Picture’, 1920, oil on canvas 25 5/8′′ x 39 3/4′′ by Max Beckmann, in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

 ‘The Metamorphosis’ published 1st June 2011, by Blackshone Audio Inc - Audio book English version. Cover illustrator not identified.

Illustration & Text successfully integrated

In this section of my visual diary I have selected designs which exhibit a harmonious relationship between image and text.

This is a design which I created in an earlier course. I'm pleased with the way that the modulated line illustration of the hen is echoed in the copperplate script of the business name, leading to a successful integration of image with text. Working in the same colour (white) also promotes an harmonious relationship.

This poster promoting London Zoo was created by Abram Games in 1976. This illustration is great fun and very clever in its integration of animal illustration, underground symbol and title (Zoo) - all in geometric shapes.

Another couple of designs by Abram Games this time advertising Guinness. Here the 'G' for 'Guinness' represents a glass of Guinness and also a face and a number '5'

Poster advertising Bahnhof Buffet, Basel, designed by C.A., printed by Wolfsberg, Zurich, 1921. The title, although separated from the image by white space, is successfully integrated with it by being hand-drawn with the same drawing tool. Bridgeman Educational Library image no.SIT306464.

German advertisement for 'Kathreiner's malt coffee', 1922. Designed by Johann B. Maier. Deutsches Historischs Museum, Berlin. Here the text follows part of the shape of the illustration and the sans serig type echoes the minimalist illustration style. Bridgeman Educational Library image no. HIS316309.

Fogg Art Museum Poster, 1956. Designed by Ben Shahn (1898 - 1969). Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College, MA, USA. Bridgeman educational library image no. DMW937395. In this illustration Shahn has positioned the hand rendered lettering within the shape of the artist's palette. Bridgeman Educational Library image no. DMW937395.

Rock concert poster for The Greatful Dead, The Doors and others at the Fillmore, San Francisco, 1966. Artist Wes Wilson (b. 1937). The psychedelic lettering (typical of the 60s) is in tune with the style of the illustration. Bridgeman Educational Library image no. BCC88092.

Poster advertising a production of the 'Merry Widow', by Franz Lehar (1870 - 1946), 1936. Designer unknown. The Art Deco dancing lettering matches the musical theme very well in this design. Bridgeman Educational Library image no. SIT289980.

Reich der Mitte poster, 1915/16. Artist unknown. I like how the scroll decoration in the title lettering matches the background pattern design to the figure. Bridgeman Educational Library image no. STC398740.

Introductory comments

Research point 1.3: Visual diary

You may have already developed ways of recording and reflecting on your own visual language and the work of others through sketchbooks, blogs or scrapbooks in which you've collected examples of illustrations and other visual information that catches your eye, or which you might want to refer back to at a later date.
 If you haven't already done so, start a visual diary and get into the habit of collecting visual material that might be useful as reference material or act as a stimulus for your visual thinking. A visual diary doesn't have to be paper-based; it could be a wall in your studio on which you pin postcards and examples of work to help inform your own practice. Blogs work well as visual diaries because if s easy to link to a wide range of material on the internet and it allows you the opportunity to share your diary and look at other people's at the same time.
If you've already got a visual diary, then spend some time collecting new material and reference points for it. Reflect on your choices. Are there common threads emerging? For example, are you drawn to particular visual cultures, contexts or styles? What do you think this says about who you are as a developing illustrator?

VISUAL DIARY

As a response to this research point and as an on-going resource I have set up this visual diary blog:

My next post relates to how designers can successfully integrate text with their illustrations. This may involve using: the same drawing tool to create both hand-rendered lettering and illustration; using part of the image as a template to position text; using the same style of design for both text and image; using illustration and lettering style which is ‘of the period’; and, using a common colour scheme, for example.

I anticipate this visual diary to be a very useful resource not only for the duration of ‘illustration 2’ but for further units within the Visual Communication degree course.