Harper Collins Publishers is celebrating their 200th anniversary, and releasing anniversary copies of the literary classics. The first classic to be released is Moby Dick by Herman Melville. The cover must utilize a visual metaphor, an image or picture that represents an abstract idea, concept, or feeling. However, a whale is not allowed in the design.
The central theme of madness shaped my approach when exploring concepts and visual metaphors to represent Moby Dick. The cover is meant to depict the feelings of suffocation, madness, and the deterioration of the mind. I wanted to capture Ahab's spiral and his descent into madness over the course of the novel. Rope is used to create different, intriguing shapes, and a harpoon is present along with the nine ships Ahab's crew run into during their journey.
Real rope was used when creating the book jacket in order to have total control over the shape and look. I photographed the design, and from there imported it into photoshop where a threshold treatment was applied. The weathered look was created by layering three different textures with blend modes.
APPLICATIONS:
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
