As new as I am to the illustration world, I'm even less experienced at design. I never really worked photos, type, and found art before I started working at Penguin, so I'm constantly questioning my design skills. My lack of confidence has kept me from posting some of my more traditional design work, but looking back on these I realized that maybe they aren't too bad, really.
AN AFRICAN AFFAIR
Rejects (not commercial enough):
And the very commercial final cover:
COMPOSED
Photograph by Annie Leibovitz
CABIN
Photograph by Brian Vanden Brink
ARTHUR MILLER SERIES
The final set:
and some rejects:
JAMES JOYCE
rejects:
and the final:
Are you kidding with these? THEY ARE FANTASTIC! I was thinking of you the other day because a friend has a new book coming out through a very small press, and the cover is awful. I was thinking how much I wish I had your mad skills.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the first of An African Affair, and those Penguin plays...when are they coming out? I need them on my bookshelves. Or in frames.
Frankly, I think all the rejected An African Affair covers trump the final version. I don't know the subject matter and how that may have affected their decision, but based on impact alone they're far superior!
ReplyDeleteThank you both.
ReplyDeleteTia,
I know what you mean, but it was my mistake to try to force a "literary" cover onto a "commercial" book.
While I personally prefer the style of the initial designs, they ultimately didn't suit the book, which is a fast-paced romantic thriller. Certain audiences expect a certain look, and I suppose an artsy-fartsy cover might have given the wrong impression.
Nice stuff. Yeah, you can see the stuff that has the authentic Tierney touch and the stuff they dumped on ya to keep ya busy.
ReplyDeleteThat lighting bolt on the final Africa Affair cover... velveeta anyone?
The Millers and the Joyce (final Joyce is solid—beautiful type play and illustration—yours?) are terrific.
Thanks Ian,
ReplyDeleteI should have pointed that out - the illustration on James Joyce is by the talented Irish painter Harry Kernoff (1900 - 1974).
He's fairly well-known, but this piece was an ordeal to track down. We had to have it specially scanned from an exhibition catalogue. No idea where the original is.
I REALLY like your second African Affair cover using the tribal patterns/skull shape. And I like the first design shown for Death of a Salesman. AND I like all of your Arthur Miller designs. I'm glad you kept all your "rejects" to share and discuss. Great job, all of them are very nice to look at :)
ReplyDeleteTotally love the 3rd and especially the 4th version of Africa, though I'd probably chosen the 3rd as the final cover. I really can't see why they chose THAT cover :( Really amazing covers, I totally love the miller covers.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work as always! Love all the rejects of 'An african affair' + love the simplicity of 'Arthur Miller's Series.
ReplyDeleteGreat work!
ReplyDeleteI love the second Crucible reject- gorgeous! But they are all gorgeous. But that's my favorite!
ReplyDelete