Project Overview
During my study abroad semester in Florence, Italy, I was assigned a project to redesign the front and back cover of the classic novel, Pinocchio. My only specified requirements were that I had to read the book in full, include the Title name on the front cover, and create an original front and back illustrated cover.
My Inspiration
I researched current/past Pinocchio book cover art, and found that many were illustrated in a similar style resembling the art of the late 19th century, when Pinocchio was first written. I wanted to do a more modern, and child friendly approach, while still acknowledging the book's age and historical importance. I did this by illustrating Pinocchio in more rounded, soft shapes, drawing inspiration from Disney's character art of him. A lot of Pinocchio character art is very angular and sharp, which I think can make him appear uncanny. I researched men's fashion in the late 1800's to make his costume historically accurate. I chose a muted yellow/orange hue for the background, and an imperfect, colored-out-of-line style with visible pen strokes to give the illustration an aged, traditional feel to it. I was inspired by German fairy tale book art, and wanted to imitate the traditional penmanship I found unique in that art style and time period.
