A Cover Illustration for a Penguin Paperback Original
Client: Penguin Random House USA
Role: Illustration
Art Director: Elizabeth Yaffe
I was commissioned by Penguin Random House to illustrate a Penguin paperback original that channels The Mediator meets Gossip Girl.
Inspired by Blair Waldorf’s apartment, I illustrated an interior scene set in an Upper East Side apartment, capturing the insular, old-money world at the heart of the story. I used saturated sunset tones and contrasting shadows to create a sense of romance and drama.
I chose to position the characters facing each other to immediately establish that she can see ghosts. I styled her in a more down-to-earth outfit to contrast with the opulent, old-money setting, signalling that she’s a bit of an outsider. As the story consists of travelling throughout New York, I added a jacket to her look to introduce a subtle sense of adventure.
