Project
Students were asked to create a book cover for a famous couple using symbolism for the two characters. I chose to do Patroclus and Achilles from Homer's Epic Poem, The Iliad. I represented patient, wise, and gentle Patroclus with an owl and dangerous, brave, and proud Achilles with a falcon. In the Greek legend, the pair is laid to rest in the same urn after dying in the Trojan War. I depicted the urn breaking and their souls flying free as birds, finally at peace and together.
Research
I wanted to use the colors of Greek pottery, black and orange, and also wanted to show the fiery passion between the two men. I used a muted color palette while emphasizing composition, lighting, and motion.
Process
I used a combination of references for my sketches, starting on paper, and then moving on to Procreate on my iPad for the illustration. I used Adobe Illustrator for the text and positioning the penguin logo and barcode, and then Photoshop for the mockups.
Result
I created mockups of the book, both just of the cover and in a spread format. I enjoyed the process of the illustration and thought that the typography complemented it even more in the final version, so I was very satisfied with the outcome.
