In class we were challenged with the project of participating in Penguin Random House UK's annual book cover design competition. Of the three options, I chose to design the cover for the children's book Carrie's War.
To establish a starting point for the design, I read the book. In short, it was about a girl named Carrie who was sent to live in the Welsh countryside during World War II. In the story there is a cursed skull that resides in the library of a house nearby. The story is riddled with feelings of guilt and regret.
I drew interest by communicating key aspects of the story without giving away any important events in the plot. In this final design, I communicated the feelings of guilt and regret by having the skull look like it is confronting the viewer and taking a prominent place in the design. I made the design more kid-friendly by doing it in a loose painting style. I communicated that the main character was a girl by the look of the hands, and I set the skull in a non-intimidating environment and set the time period with the background.
