-
Young adults who may be new to the story and are curious to explore the backstory of one of the most extraordinary creatures of the classic horror genre.
-
To redesign the book jacket of a classic novel that stays faithful to the story and reflects one of the book’s themes or elements.
The cover design could be made using a collage of photos or illustrations, but it must be clear and concise for the reader to understand how it relates to the story.
-
As a fan of this book, I wanted to design a book jacket that spoke more to the creature’s character and experience as one of the most misunderstood beings in the novel.
Therefore, the covers needed to portray his desolation and solitude that overshadow him and cast him as this monstrous and unknown force. To do this, I noted crucial scenes, tone words, and emotions of the character to use as inspiration during sketching phase.
Sketches
The first theme I focused on is how Dr. Frankenstein’s creature is not only just a shadow reflection of himself but also represents the hidden virtue behind misunderstood characters who fall into the preconceived notions of being monsters. I attempted to portray him as a light figure outlined or reflected by a larger, more monstrous form. (#1, 2, 4, 7, 8, and 9)
For the second theme, I explored some of the natural elements of the book most prominent throughout the plot’s development, such as the mountain caves and the lightning. (#3, 5, and 10) Lastly, I focused on the anatomical references of the creatures’ formation, with illustrations of stitches included within the design. (#6, 10, 11, and 12)
Digital Ideations
One of the first avenues I explored was using images that I believed followed the story. Still, I wasn’t satisfied with the results and instead determined to use illustrations.
For the second design I focused on exploring how the cover could act as a reflection between the two main characters and their contrasting of dark and light elements.
The third design simply features a green background with two illustrated bolts hovering over an empty space where the characters neck would be. This design was inspired by 1931 film version of Frankenstein’s monster with bolts protruding through his neck.
Refinement
-
After choosing to move forward with the third design featuring the bolts. I decided to revisit it based on feedback to expand the design as much as possible without losing its simplicity.
My first change was to add a silhouette of the creature to house the bolts. Next, I added some depth to the bolts in his neck by adding shadows to the original flat illustrations. And lastly, I wanted to incorporate some of the stitches inspired by the 1931 film version of the creature.
