Fairest
AUTHOR: Sophia Zaccaria
SERIES: A Court of Mirrors - Book 1
PROJECT:
Book Cover Design (Paperback•eBook)
This book cover was created for a dark fantasy novel — a retelling of the Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, with the Evil Queen as the protagonist.
The request from the author was to include several elements representing the story (the main character, a broken mirror and an apple) but always having the “Gothic style” in mind. This is usually made by creating a darker design, with high contrasts and a “mysterious atmosphere”, almost dramatic.
Therefore, I made the entire cover with a grey color scheme, even if that grey has some soft tones (like a light purple or silver). This also gave the possibility to highlight small details, by being the only spots with a strong color, like the drop of blood in the main title and also the apple.
Therefore, I made the entire cover with a grey color scheme, even if that grey has some soft tones (like a light purple or silver). This also gave the possibility to highlight small details, by being the only spots with a strong color, like the drop of blood in the main title and also the apple.
The font I chose for the title is quite suitable for the dark fantasy genre and its “pointed corners” helped to match the model’s long nails. It gives a mixture of a sophisticated and dramatic feeling, showing that this is not exactly a “sweet romance”.
In order to maintain a balance and consistency across the cover, I extended the design from front to back, including another apple at the top, to add a touch of color to that zone of the back cover. The only difference with this apple is that it has already been bitten, which shows a sense of continuity (as if the story was already developing).
