I've recently been going through some old files and decided I wanted to redo a previous project, which was redesigning the book cover for one of my favorite young adult Novels, Flipped. This coming of age story is a timeless read that I've come back to throughout my life, so I wanted to really put my best foot forward on this project.

There's one thing that all three current covers of this novel have in common: minimalism. Using the current printed editions as reference, I wanted to give the book more of a hand made, illustrated feel and use some of my personal chicken illustrations. These chickens are beloved and are one of the major plot points in the novel.

Not wanting to chose colors at random, I thought about the novel and some of the other themes. Class, money and society's view of lower income families during the time of the novel (1957-1963) was something I wanted to pay mind to even in my color choices. I researched and was able to find some color swatches for the 1957 Chevrolet Passenger car, which seemed perfect for my uses.

After choosing my colors, I worked on some hand-drawn illustrations in pen and ink. These illustrations are of different types of chickens; hatching baby chicks, hens, and of course a rooster, as the discussion between the difference between a hen and a rooster is part of the novel that always makes me smile. After cleaning these illustrations up in Photoshop, I moved them into Illustrator for the cover design.

I created the first cover design in a traditional Americana color palette, focusing on warm creams, bold reds, and subtle blues. I also created a recolored version, which focused on more youthful colors from the Chevrolet palette. 

Ultimately, I really loved creating this book cover and taking the time to slow down and remember how much this novel has impacted me personally.