For this class assignment, I was tasked with creating multiple book jacket concepts that drew inspiration from Tolkien's original book cover concept. I sketched out many ideas utilizing various aspects of the original cover and developed covers that focus on using photography, illustrations, and typography. The original colors in Tolkien's cover are cream, green, and blue so I wanted to incorporate the blue and green into my designs.

In the end, the illustrative cover with the dragon stood out to me the most and was the one I chose to develop and mockup. The illustration incorporates lots of movement and detailed lines all to create the iconic Smaug who is wrapping himself across the book jacket.