Initial Book Cover Ideas

Initial Ideas

By starting this project with a collection of research from a variety of sources I was able to explore the narrative in a range of visual approaches. This abled me to build on a variety of ideas. I approached each design idea with a different process, I experimented with painting onto photographs, using screenshots from the film, only using typography and collaging with actual pages from the novel. 

Idea no.1 - Mixed media

Using photographs of the clutters family I painted over their faces with red and blue paint. The red paint symbolising the bloody death of each member while on the back, the same process is used but with blue paint to illustrate the coldness in which the murders were done. Although the visuals were imaginative it didn’t exist as a strong enough representation of the book. 

Idea no.2 – The Criminals

Focusing on only one aspect of the book - the minds of two the criminals, I started sketching their faces in a minimal childlike style. Part of the core narrative of the book is how the murders were done with no reason behind it -  making one of the key themes the psychology of the criminals.

In attempting to represent this part of the narrative I gathered thoughts on how a child could also be seen to do things without reason due to their lack of understanding of it. Therefore, drawing the two criminals in a childlike form, with red painted mouths holding a placard, the design aimed to visualised the confused and psychotic state they are perceived as in the book. Although I liked this design I thought it was too vague. 

Idea no.3 – Layered Screenshots 

From watching the film, I gathered a collection of screenshots that if pieced together would visualise the entire feel and narrative of the book. In thinking about how the narrative is based on a crime being uncovered I layered up the screenshots, overlapping photos of the detectives, police and criminals. This approach to the design however was too obvious and as a visual with so much photographic imagery nothing stands out. 

Idea 4 – Taking a quote and bringing into the spotlight 

In the process of uncovering a crime key information to the big reveal could be over looked. Like a detective searching for key information I looked for a piece of text within the novel that is important and ought to be highlighted and brought into the spot light. The quote that states there was “no clues, no logic, no witlessness, no finger prints and no murder weapons” stood out as an interesting line. By taking it and placing it on a blank page it brings attention to it that it otherwise might not have got. 

Other mock up Idea: