Illustrated book cover concept.
‘Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self' by Danielle Evans.
This book is a collection of eight short stories about young mixed-race individuals struggling to find a place in their families and communities.
Having read the collection of short stories I wanted to showcase each aspect and the overall themes presented, from journeying into adolescence to the trials and tribulations of life. I found myself drawn to the number 8. It felt symbolic of the number of stories within the book and of strength. The continuous looping 8 figure resembled how life can feel infinite with possibilities, paths to take and more. Playing on this idea I thought back to the humble deck of cards and how life is often about the cards you're dealt and making what you can of the hand you hold. It can be a gamble sometimes but it can often pay off.
I wanted to incorporate how the infinite looping 8 figure can also be found hidden within the number 8 cards, which is why it felt like the next natural progression that the ‘Snake’ short story would find itself weaving through the card's diamonds and design.
It then became a case of tying everything together and bringing it back to the book's title ‘Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self’ which is why I wanted to use the idea of the book cover having a cellophane coating, just like a brand new deck of cards would have, adding to that feeling of suffocation and entrapment that the short stories touch on in different ways.
‘Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self' by Danielle Evans.
This book is a collection of eight short stories about young mixed-race individuals struggling to find a place in their families and communities.
Having read the collection of short stories I wanted to showcase each aspect and the overall themes presented, from journeying into adolescence to the trials and tribulations of life. I found myself drawn to the number 8. It felt symbolic of the number of stories within the book and of strength. The continuous looping 8 figure resembled how life can feel infinite with possibilities, paths to take and more. Playing on this idea I thought back to the humble deck of cards and how life is often about the cards you're dealt and making what you can of the hand you hold. It can be a gamble sometimes but it can often pay off.
I wanted to incorporate how the infinite looping 8 figure can also be found hidden within the number 8 cards, which is why it felt like the next natural progression that the ‘Snake’ short story would find itself weaving through the card's diamonds and design.
It then became a case of tying everything together and bringing it back to the book's title ‘Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self’ which is why I wanted to use the idea of the book cover having a cellophane coating, just like a brand new deck of cards would have, adding to that feeling of suffocation and entrapment that the short stories touch on in different ways.
