English 2- Pro and Post Book Cover Rebranding Design

What is your vision of the book cover?

-The original of the book cover is done by simple typography. But from my view, I have another vision in my mind. Firstly is the portrait of the main characters which is Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters. Because using the main actor for the book cover can bring out what the story exactly talking about. And it also can let people know that the story have related love story.

Then use the universe as a background. Because the title of the book is “The fault in our stars”, and the “stars is related the universe. Another reason is the story have relate the time of flies, so that have relate the universe too. When I see this story, the shape of square also has appearing in my mind. Because some of the story has use it as through space and time. I think the shape of square must be coming in one of the part in the book cover. “Memory” also has been appearing the book cover, because the story is about the process and memory between the Hazel Grace and Augustus. After that the color of the vision in my mind is cool color which is blue, purple, blue green and etc.

 Because these kinds of the colors can bring it out the feeling of love, memory, time, brave, cherish the memory, sad, regret and etc. In my vision, I think evert think must be sharp; to make it interesting and it’s also will attract people to see the book cover.

Why did the book inspire you?

-This is really a good story for me, and the story is talking about love. Be brave and positive to facing the problems no matter is very suffering and hard. I am going to saying the love in this story first. From the beginning, Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters don’t know each other. By fate, they attend one of the cancer patients' support group, they know each other. I would like to saying that you won’t know what will happened in the future.

Be looking forward what is going to come, sometime the fate will test you with some challenge. But no matter what going on your life, just make it as an every scene of life. Hazel Grace is a thyroid cancer patient, and Augustus Waters are patient of osteosarcoma. It’s very hurt to them, ever since birth, they are different with the other, which means they suffering more than the commons. But they still brave and positive to face their handicap and they don’t really care about others push aside them. They are great example of an iron will. In this part its make me feel that we need to caring, and respect the people of handicap and don’t ignore to them.

 Sometime you need to give up something to protect and treasuring someone and no matter its doesn’t fair for each other. For example, firstly, they controlling their emotion of love and prevent falling in love with each other. Because they know that theirs cancer as a Grenada, even its fully recover from an illness, but it’s also will coming back on one of the day. The final is very make people feeling regret, because Augustus Watters is pass away because the return of his previous cancer. But Hazel Grace still appreciate the memory with Augustus Waters, and she also promise that will be great for her life. We need to treasuring and caring the people who around our relationship which is our parents, friends and etc. Sparking your life and never stop learning.

What are the sequential steps taken throughout the design and making process?

-Before to design the book cover, I have do some research about the book cover and the elements of the design. After doing research, the second step is downloading the image which will going to use in my book cover design. For example, the portrait of the main characters, fog, universe, title of the book (written by chalk), and blue texture and etc.

Then I will start to designing in Photoshop. First step is import the portrait of the main characters. Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool to remove the background. The second step is converting the universe image by Spot Healing Brush Tool and Eraser Tool. Third step is making the frame by image of fog. That means I have using the Eraser to remove the centre part of the fog and duplicate it with play around with blending mode. Fourth step is making the frame by the blue texture.

 As a third step remove the centre part of the blue texture, but this time I’m going to use Rectangular Marquee Tool to remove the centre. Because Rectangular Marquee Tool is the one of the way to making sharp frame. After I will Duplicate all the layers again and play around with blending mode. Finally import the image of title and changing it with difference type of blending mode.  

Source Material

Steps for making a Book Cover

-Import the main character, and remove the back ground.

-Create a texture frame and play around with blending mode.

-Import another main character and convert it with background.

-Duplicate all the layers and play around with blending mode.

Final

How is the material responding to your design?

-I have going to use Adobe Photoshop for designing book cover and I will be showing in full digital art work. And all the image will getting from internet. First image of material is the image of main characters. I will use it in my book cover, because they are the centre of the story, and it will make people easy to understand the look of main character. And the image of main characters is “face to face” to make people knew that, they are a couple and the story have related love story.

After is image of the background which is universe. It’s going to present memory. Because universe can bring the feeling of the time and memory. And it’s also have related the “wish” and “hope” from the mean character. In the image of universe, every star equal one memory. Then the image of fog will be use in this book cover. Its represent they are facing the difficulty and misfortune, but they are still be brave and passive to face it. And the fog is surround the the main characters, that represent they are in the trouble but honestly to face the problem together.

And then the frame of texture is representing the frame of time. It’s a hope of main characters; they hope that the frame can’t storage their memory until forever. Let’s talking about the typo of the title. I have using the original work, because it’s have an impression in my mind, and I think that it’s a good typo for this book cover.

How is ornament coming into existence?

-I would like to separate the ornament section in two parts. Which is digital and hand made. For the digital, I would like to use the Photoshop’s tool which is Spot Healing Brush Tool, Clone Stamp Tool, and Eraser Tool to make it as an ornament. For example: I will use these kind of tool to make the material of the book cover becoming smooth, sharp, balance and etc.

That mean I will ornament all the materials at the same channel. And I also have going to use the different adjustment like, levels, brightness and contrast, colour correction, and curve to adjust all the design at the neutral colour. And then I will transfer to hand make section which is printing. I will print it at glossy paper to make it as expensive and store it at transparent file to prevent damage.

How is color becoming part of the object?

-I will use the cool color as my main color of book cover. For this book cover design, cool color and represent serious, honest, regret, treasuring, memories, hopeless, dream, time and etc. And I have using the technology of color grading to make it in neutral and attract. Color gradient will be using for this book cover for highlight something. For example there are two conspicuous at the center. Its represent the memories of both character and they are surrounding of the universe have using blue gradient to represent both character inside the universe as a hipness and faith. I have using high contrast and brightness in this book cover to make it good in look and feel. To attach people to find it. For this color gradient, the starting point is coming from the edge of the book (dark color) to center (light color), because the arrangement of the color will let people see the center from the first view. And the both “center” of the universe is appearing in warm color to represent their true love.