The Raven
Illustration + Publication Design
Front and back covers. Lots of pen scribbles.
Nevermor-ing
I took on the classic that is Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and crafted my own book.
Inspired by the macabre and eerie nature of the story, as well as the pitch black night in which the famous conversation between man and bird takes place, I created illustrations utilizing a black background with highlights of white to pierce through the darkness (just as the voices during the discussion disrupt the quiet and still of the night). I took cues from illustrators such as Edward Gorey and Jules Feiffer, incorporating a sketchy quality to my work to give it a rawness and an unsettled feel. As the man in the story is descending into madness, I felt an undone quality was called for.
Guess what kind of bird that is.
The text layout carries the theme of the illustrations—but reversed. All concentrated evenly to the center to create tension, the brief lines of black text take up minimal space on each white page. They interrupt the uniformity and stillness of the space, as two voices rising while the rest of the world sleeps.