Beloved trilogy by Toni Morrison
The Beloved trilogy is a famed series of writings from Nobel peace prize winning author Toni Morrison, and is a considered a classic piece of American literature. I was tasked with giving the book covers for this set a face lift to appeal to a generation of readers.
Going into this project, I knew I wanted each book to share the same color palette, but to have its own uniquely-identifiable illustration. The original book cover boasted a simple solid color with its title in a script-based type. This allowed me ample room to completely breathe life into the book and give it a well-deserved presence.
When possible, I love to introduce my hand, so-to-speak, into the work to add a touch of humanity. I felt that this project would benefit from said touch. I wanted to incorporate that feature in a carefully subtle way, as to not clash with the pattern that makes up the majority of the feature design.
I decided to take the book’s design in a color-driven direction, a stark contrast from the original book cover. Each cover of the book features artwork inspired by symbols important to the plot. What unifies the artwork is the geometric, colorful pattern that they are made of.
At its simplest form, the artwork is a rectangle with a rounded top,
a heart, and a circle. The black doodling gives the work meaning and offers a suggestive undertone to the otherwise “nice to look at” design.
a heart, and a circle. The black doodling gives the work meaning and offers a suggestive undertone to the otherwise “nice to look at” design.
