What if non-romance books looked like romance books?
Hi, it's Divya G. What does theg stand for? The g stands for gonna redesign some book covers as
romance book covers today for absolutely no reason at all(!) Let's have a little
flashback. So last year we dissected the current trends in contemporary romance book cover design
and i attempted to make my own mashup version featuring Jeff Bezos, the evil hairdresser,
who tries to get in the way between the love of Camilla and Sean Mendes. Now I'm not saying
that i predicted their breakup but i'm not saying that i didn't. For more see that. For this year,
given that covers are most likely designed a few months to maybe even a year or two
prior the covers pretty much look the same. We've got more vector digital illustration
styles some looking freehand. Overall it's bold it's blocky, and it's decoratored.
Script fonts looking like Bridget Jones is scribbling away in her diary. We have some fun
pandemic inspired stories now i'm not saying that i predicted this but I'm not saying that I didn't.
And guys let's look at this cover oh look it's so fun! I really like the layered paper.
I really like it when designers use like physical materials in their cover designs because it's it's
it's very playful. It's it adds a little bit of depth and individuality to the piece
all right (guffaws in posh). So i asked instagram for some recommendations
'of mice and men'. Okay so 'of mice and men', if you're unaware, it's about the
loneliness and companionship of two ranch workers George and Lennie, in the hunt for
a job during the great depression. And really, it's about- it's about the the futility of the
American dream. In a way I suppose you could say that they were romanced by the promise of freedom
Lennies's gonna get no peace. Disclaimer! When i do this i normally just have like one idea
and then i just make that idea if you're doing this for realsies yeah you probably want around
at least 10 different ideas ideally you want like 100 and you'll probably have a much longer time
span than just a few hours in the evening when the university isn't shoving its two fingers
up you ar- but i didn't do this because it's not that deep. I was looking up previous covers
of of mice and men and imagine my surprise when i saw this! we gotta have the rabbits
you know the rabbits! It's all all lenny wanted to do was tend them rabbits! Initially i was
gonna put Lennie and the rabbits together on the cover just by themselves but i was like
this isn't 'a court of thorns of roses' you know i'm not having some bestiality going on
in here. Obviously in the original script George and Lennie are kind of more like brothers rather
than in a romantic relationship so it's giving me a little bit like... what are you doing step bro?
But yeah don't be afraid to like move them around, swap them around, change their size a bit- i mean
to be honest it was the height difference guys like it was giving a bit size kink. A few miles
south of Soledad, the Salinas river drops in close to the hillside back and runs deep and green.
The water is warm too for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow ands and the sunlight
before reaching the narrow pool.
We moved on to photoshop where i added the title text, author name and bam! 'Of mice and men' a
story which literally every single 16 year old in england has read and therefore Lennie, who gets
murked at the end. will never get any damn rest! So Lennie is turned towards George but
he's focused on the rabbit which becomes his ultimate hamartia. And George (snake),
smiling, but his back is turned because a rotten egg is a rotten egg! Crime and punishment. Now
for lack of brain cells i haven't read this. But guys the title is like giving me
sus. Okay so in an ideal world you'd read the plot, get themes, get motifs and whatever um
but i just look i looked up the plot to be honest. Dostoevsky's great novel of damnation
and redemption evokes the world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil
blurr. It tells the story of raskolnikov a destitute and desperate student who wanders around
in the slums of saint petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret...
you know perfect for romance cover! Some romance covers don't have people in them at
all you can just use like symbolism. This is my favorite example. I really like the clean
vector shape you know geometry and i really love the color palette and the split colour palette.
I know he had to deal with the feds and that was enough really um fluffy pink handcuffs.
Why fluffy pink? Why not? Like you know guys don't do crime otherwise you get
slap on the wrist and a little slap on the as- I think sometimes being too clean and everything
a little bit boring. Play around with the type. I- i wanted to add a little bit of
distressed "oh this got printed on some really old print machine look" um which i think
yeah add a little bit of texture for interest and here we go Crime and Punishment. This is noted as
one of like the greatest texts in world literature by probably some like really older, prestigious,
well-renowned, smart and well-educated group of people like i don't know the Hollywood foreign
press. In honor of valentine's day here we go um i like genre bending it's fun it's challenging.
If you do have suggestions of other genre bends i can do with different things let me know. This is
probably disrespectful to the source material it's fine it's fine in it the little authors are dead
i'm joking it's it's not that deep. Let know your favorite i kind of like crime
and punishment i like the textures. Subscribe for more book design and bookish design content
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hug time for everyone who is lonely today it's okay
man yeah what if what if why do i sound so scared why do i sound so scared what if none whatever
hi welcome to watch mojo