"The Pearl" by John Steinbeck
After reading this classic, I wanted to create a set of covers that were different and eye catching. I wanted the books to look colorful but crisp and modern.
I wanted to take the focus off the pearl a bit and emphasize the seaweed that shrouded it. I wanted there to be a clear progression of light to darkness on the seaweed to represent how what you first perceive as beautiful may be dark and ugly underneath.
Ideally, the pearl would be printed in opalescent, shiny cover. It is purposefully placed on the bottom, off center of the cover in a position where it will face constant wear and tear. I envision the reader being attracted to the pearls beauty just as the protagonist, Kino, was but as time passes, by the end of the book, the pearl has aged, smudged, and wrinkled in parallel to how the pearl went from a beacon of hope to a shadowy curse in the story.
To make the illustration I photographed some seaweed I found on a family trip to the beach, scanned it into Photoshop, and played around with textures and gradients among other things.
Inspired by the story, relative art, and the 1947 Viking Press First Edition Cover, I made a couple extra covers for this book. Simple and clean, these covers are sure to stand out on the shelves.
