Typography Talk: Jessica Hische Book Talk and Signing

Typography Talk is an original feature where I discuss about book cover design and typography. Even though people always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know everyone does. A book's cover art needs to captivate the potential reader. There are some readers who will be more inclined to purchase a book not only based on the synopsis, but also based on how the cover looks like. Colors, typeface, medium, spacing and originality are all factors that help make up a cover.

In this post, I decided to fuse an event recap with Typography Talk since this is my first time meeting an artist who decided to pursue writing a children's picture book. Not only does this artist become an author, but she also illustrated the book she wrote.

Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and author who recently published Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave. She is
an accomplished artist and author who collaborated with companies to help them with their brand identity, advertising, and more. She has worked with Wes Craven, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Tiffany & Co., Mail Chimp, the Oscars, Penguin, etc. Originally from Philadelphia, Jessica has established herself as an artist at a very young age and eventually moved to Brooklyn, New York to start a life with a rigorous work life with 90 hours per week under her belt. She eventually relocated to San Francisco for a slower paced life working 30 hours a week when she started a family a few years ago.

I was fortunate enough to hear Jessica talk at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Over 100 people were in attendance for her lecture and book signing. Unfortunately, I missed the first ten or so minutes of the talk but she is a very engaging presenter. Not only are her slides on point but she converses with her audience like they are her friends and family. She laughs with them and is able to talk about herself very easily like she knows her audience for a very long time. It was interesting to hear her speak about her life chronologically and to hear about the creative artist process. The audience got to see and hear about some of her work with well known clients as well as her own pieces that she worked on over the years of her career.

I minored in graphic design and dabbled with typography occasionally. However, my major was in communications with a concentration in advertising. I found the lecture gravitated to my liking based on my interests. Jessica described how she doesn't work with other designers, yet she works with marketing and CEOs of companies who may not understand what the artist process looks like. She goes over her creative thinking process to show companies her thinking, broken down into segments, to show them how she envisions every detail. I found her process very intriguing and it's important for marketing and CEOs to understand that artists and designers take a lot of time and effort to hone their craft.

For my bookish readers, you may know of Jessica's work without even knowing it. Jessica illustrated the Penguin Drop Caps series. She created 26 book covers for book classics such as Moby Dick and Pride and Prejudice. This is a series of 26 collectible and gift-worthy hardcover editions showcasing a beautifully foil-stamped illustrated letter of the alphabet that reveals an element of the story for each edition.

Jessica read Tomorrow I'll Be Brave while showing us slides of each page of the picture book. With its gorgeous lettering and rhyming short sentences, this book is a wonderful read for all ages. Before she ended the talk, the floor was open for questions. One question that a student asked was how can an artist network with others in a new city. Jessica mentioned that you need to put yourself out there and meet other people. Sometimes it's hard to do that but even asking someone to meet over a cup of coffee can help you big time. They can suggest little things like signing up for a mailing list to inviting you to an event that can help jumpstart your career. She answered another student's question about coping with coming up with new ideas and how to deal with the frustration. She recommends sketching out all your ideas that come to mind. Nothing is perfect but you learn from your mistakes. Great ideas evolve from mistakes.

One piece of advice that Jessica constantly told herself, "I need to make work that I care about and spend less time worrying about meeting imagined people's expectations."

Yes to this! This can apply to anyone! And I love how she told a room full of artists to make work for themselves and not for others.

Jessica also made an appearance at Trident Booksellers and Cafe later that night to talk about Tomorrow I'll be Brave. Tomorrow I'll be Brave is a book that is uplifting, encouraging, and empowering. It talks about the possibilities that tomorrow can bring and encourages the best kids can be. A child can be curious, confident, brave, creative, and so much more.

You can find more information at the Tomorrow I'll Be Brave website. There is more information about the book as well as a book trailer :).

Typography Talk (5)

Typography Talk is an original feature where I discuss about book cover design and typography. Even though people always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know everyone does. A book's cover art needs to captivate the potential reader. There are some readers who will be more inclined to purchase a book not only based on the synopsis, but also based on how the cover looks like. Colors, typeface, medium, spacing and originality are all factors that help make up a cover.

The Wingsnatchers by Sarah Jean Horowitz is a whimsical middle grade novel about a magician apprentice, Carmer, who loves tinkering and inventing. Grit is a one winged fire faerie princess who ends up befriending Carmer by accident.

The cover design conveys the general gist of the story quite well. With its steampunk elements and an exhibition in Skemantis, the landscape fuses in with the city. The tree presents the Oldtown Arboretum that Grit lives in. Grit is also shown standing on a pedestal with one wing.

The type for the author's name works well and looks like there is a banner introducing people to this wonderful world. I love the typeface chosen for the series title. It's rigid corners represent the analytical thinking and the yellow to orange-red gradient and the glyph marks around Grit adds a playful touch.

The colors of blue and orange work well because they are opposites on the color wheel. Although the steampunk elements are harsh on the eyes with the dark colors, the intricate designs along with the pastel colors soften ambience.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi is a whimsical and colorful novel which accurately describes the novel. The main character, Alice, is born without pigment in the colorful world called Ferenwood. You can see her pictured in the center of the cover design. Every item depicted on the cover holds significance. The fox, the bangles, the ruler and paper scrolls all play a part in the plot. Oliver, who is standing next to Alice, plays an important role in the story and is Alice's adventurous companion.

Although the cover seems a bit cluttered, it works in the sense that when Alice and Oliver visit Furthermore, the world is not what you expect it to be and it is all over the place. The main color scheme on the cover taps into complementary colors. Purple is often next to yellow. Oliver's blue shirt in the top left is complementary to the orange fox located on the bottom right. These colors and the placement of the colors provide a nice balance despite the cluttered design.

The title of the book is part of one of the paper scrolls. The paper scroll is never-ending, sort of how Furthermore is. Having the type in block capital letters provides some structure in the crazy world of Furthermore. The contrast works well.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay by J.K. Rowling has one of my favorite type treatments for a logo. For the new Harry Potter related franchise, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a series about Newt Scamander's magical creatures. Newt steps into 1926 New York City where everything is proper and structured. Most of the typeface of Fantastic Beasts is structured in all caps serifs except for some details that add a bit of character. The whimsical S represents the Occamy, which is a magical creature that is serpent like that can grow and shrink in size. Some of the letters also have some fur or feather like appendages. You can say that the logo is very beastly! For more information about the logo design, check out this Pottermore article.

In terms of the rest of the cover design, the gold lettering and magical creature design pops from the midnight blue background. The raised metallic areas had a nice touch to the cover art. I love seeing magical creatures such as the Swooping Evil and Niffler depicted on the cover since readers and viewers of the film will come across these creatures. The small yet significant quill separates J.K. Rowling's name and the title of the screenplay.

Typography Talk (4)

Typography Talk is an original feature where I discuss about book cover design and typography. Even though people always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know everyone does. A book's cover art needs to captivate the potential reader. There are some readers who will be more inclined to purchase a book not only based on the synopsis, but also based on how the cover looks like. Colors, typeface, medium, spacing and originality are all factors that help make up a cover.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken has a stunning cover. The colors are subdued and cover art is cleverly designed. The colors hint at a historical fiction novel.

The bottle holds New York City where the main character Etta resides. The reflection of the city resembles a ship which is very important to the plot of the novel. A ship represents travel back in time. It represents history. Any type of transportation could have been reflected in the water but it makes sense to have a ship since ships have been around for a long time. In this sense, the ship can take you anywhere back in time.

The decorative typeface for the title bleeds off the page which is a nice touch. It reminds me of how people believe ships would sail off the map because they thought the world was flat. The slight cursive script hints to the past where cursive reined over print.





The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee is Lee's first contemporary novel and it shows in the cover design of the novel. This heartfelt novel translates well with a soft pale blue background and the title is framed with flowers. Because Mim and her mother are aromateurs, flowers and herbs are very important to fine-tuning a person's essence. Blue creates a sense of calmness and relaxation. Blue is giving and is not a taker.

Showcasing Mim looking into the plant life indicates Mim searching for something. She is always helps others find love. However, Mim never looks for love but even though she tries her hardest not to fall in love, love finds her instead. Because she is always gathering different flowers and herbs for her perfumes, it is fitting that she walking through nature. Mim is also soul searching and trying to come to terms about who she is and what she wants in life.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber is Garber's debut novel and it doesn't disappoint. The cover art is absolutely stunning! It is captivating and draws the reader in to the most magnificent show on Earth! The colors are very symbolic especially the blue. Blue and gold sparks represent childhood dreams. The decorative whimsical type treatment adds a sense of unpredictableness with the twists and turns within the story.

The background is mysterious and magical just like the games. The red reminds me of the mysterious roses in the rooms. Even the whimsical shapes of the red lines look like petals. The red represents a sense of urgency. It's an urgency for Scarlett to find her sister Tella. Also, red can also represent Scarlett herself. Scarlett is following her childhood dreams to attend the mysterious Caraval but she needs to find and save her sister.

Keeping the rest of the type in a sans serif font creates a focal piece for the title Caraval. The way the blue star and the red wisps are located, it creates a stage for Caraval. All eyes are on the stage and hence the show.

Erin Fitzsimmons and Ray Shappell did a fantastic job with designing the cover to Caraval!

What do you think about the cover art for these three lovely novels? Have you read any of them?

Typography Talk: Cover Redesigns

Typography Talk is an original feature where I discuss about book cover design and typography. Even though people always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know everyone does. A book's cover art needs to captivate the potential reader. There are some readers who will be more inclined to purchase a book not only based on the synopsis, but also based on how the cover looks like. Colors, typeface, medium, spacing and originality are all factors that help make up a cover.

Sometimes a book will come out and there will be a cover redesign in the future, whether it be for the hardcover or for the paperback edition. Some cover redesigns are well done and some are, well, not so great. Unfortunately, the authors usually don't have a say when a cover is designed in general. The marketing and publicity departments have the reign to decide what the cover looks like and how they want to market and promote the book. Even the graphic designers don't have a say. They just carry out and design what the marketing and publicity departments tell them to include on the cover. After many proofs (drafts), a new official design is born!

However, not everyone is as thrilled about the redesign. Frankly, many hardcore fans of certain books might not approve of the redesign. But there are instances where the redesign is as good or better than the originals. It depends why a cover is getting redesigned in the first place. Does the cover need a face lift because the publisher is trying to cater to a new audience? Is the cover not as eye catching as other similar titles and sales are not up to par?

Some readers who collect books don't care if covers of a series match or not. However, some readers need to have ALL of the covers to match.  

R E D E S I G N E D   C O V E R S

Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin

The redesign is a nice face lift for series. Kristy's Great Idea was originally published in 1986. For the new generation of children who might be interested in the book, a contemporary take is more eye catching. The old cover shows four girls in 1980's clothing compared to the new cover that looks more fresh and modern. The new cover has a look and colors that definitely scream contemporary! However, the font treatment is better with the classic cover.

Image from Forbes.com

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I love all the Harry Potter cover redesigns and each redesign brings out something special from the Potterworld. Mary GrandPré designed some stunning artwork for the US editions of the Harry Potter series. However, Kazu Kibuishi redesigned the covers in a refreshing way for the 15th anniversary. And I love how each spine of the seven Harry Potter books, when put together side by side, creates Hogwarts. It's an innovative way to get readers to buy all redesigned books in the series. The iconic lighting bolt typeface is the same in both designs which I love! Check out the cover comparisons here.

For the UK versions, Jonny Duddle reinvents the Harry Potter covers targeting a new audience. With his background in the computer game industry, you can tell how he brings some of the animation from video games into his illustrations, depicting the wonderful world of Harry Potter. The colors are rich and vibrant and the magic is clearly there.

Image from telegraph.co.uk

And the illustrated version of Harry Potter has some of the best Harry Potter visuals I have seen thanks to Jim Kay. Check out what Jim Kay has to say about creating the breathtaking images.

Image from boktycke.wordpress.com

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Although this version of Fahrenheit 451 is not officially published, Elizabeth Perez designed an innovative cover of Fahrenheit 451. This minimalist design is perfect. The match that creates the 1 to 451 is symbolic. With the matchbox spine and an actual match as part of the cover design, it conveys the the theme of the book about book burnings. How clever! This is one of my favorite book redesigns.

1987 version

Image from Flavorwire.wordpress.com

What do you prefer? Would you collect books with the same covers or could you care less about matching covers?

Typography Talk (2)

Typography Talk is an original feature where I discuss about book cover design and typography. Even though people always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know everyone does. A book's cover art needs to captivate the potential reader. There are some readers who will be more inclined to purchase a book not only based on the synopsis, but also based on how the cover looks like. Colors, typeface, medium, spacing and originality are all factors that help make up a cover.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski is stunning not only in writing but the cover art is gorgeous. The colors are tones of brown, rose and mauve and the type treatment is perfect. The artist opted to do a girl in a beautiful dress for the cover.

Without reading the book, it is assumed the girl is the main character of the book. I love how Kestrel is holding the R of Curse. The cover artist incorporated the type with the image as if they are one.

The type being rotated at a 90 degree angle is a nice touch as well. It makes the book unique and I love the sans-serif justified type.





 

Landline by Rainbow Rowell has a simple cover. The title is in a more decorative typeface and I Landline. The spine is gorgeous too. I would not expect the pink at all but the pink stripes works well with the overall packaging of the novel.
love how the cover artist incorporates a telephone coil at the end of

The magical yellow telephone is the focal piece of the cover which makes sense since it plays a huge part in the plot of the novel. The neutral colored background makes the yellow phone pop out more.

Keeping the author's name in a simple sans-serif font in white shows nice contrast with the black hand-lettering of the title.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer has a ravishing cover design. The decorative typeface is whimsical and the bright white pops against the dark background. I like the slight 3-dimensional look of the title as well.

The red high heel is the focal piece of the cover. Your eyes focus on the shoe and then to the leg. The artist did an excellent job hinting Cinder is a Cinderella retelling with the main character being a cyborg. The spotlight on the leg and heel indicates Cinder is the main character in the novel. The ombre gradient of black to blue to a faded white draws more focus on the shoe.

I love how Meyer's name is in a subtle decorative typeface in the spotlight. It doesn't distract the reader's eyes from the title or the heel.

Typography Talk (1)

Typography Talk is an original feature where I discuss about book cover design and typography. Even though people always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know everyone does. A book's cover art needs to captivate the potential reader. There are some readers who will be more inclined to purchase a book not only based on the synopsis, but also based on how the cover looks like. Colors, typeface, medium, spacing and originality are all factors that help make up a cover.

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales has an intriguing cover. Because each word in the title is only four letters long, having justified type spacing works well. The background conveys how the book is somehow related to the music and we can assume the girl on the cover is either the main character or a girl with importance in the book.

I do like how the cover artist decided to use a photograph to convey the tone of the book instead of creating a graphic for the cover.

Having the words in a simple sans-serif typeface is easy to read especially when the lettering is in white. The pink lettering spelling out LOVE pops off the cover. It has a good contrast from the clean white lines.

Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee has a gorgeous cover. The ombre sky definitely works well with the title of the book and the silhouettes of Andy and Sammy puts the spotlight on the female characters in the book.

The dark blue/purple title type is simple yet stands out from the watercolor like background. I like how the title looks like it's slightly sponge painted sans-serif. Having Stacey Lee's name in a loopy more decorative font goes well with the curves of the zodiac animals and adds elegance.

From far away, readers can see squiggles that actually Chinese zodiac animals. Snakes, rabbit and dragons are depicted on the cover. These animals have great meaning because they correlate with certain characters in the novel. When I look at the cover, I know the characters will be embarking on a journey. Sammy can be seen with the violin which is significance in the story.

Inked by Eric Smith has a pretty awesome cover. Because the novel is about the magic of tattoos, the typeface is perfect! Not only the title look like a tattoo but the lime green and cyan outlines/glow makes it pop out of the blue cover. The glowing is significant in the book. I absolutely love the contrast in colors. Because tattoos are so important in Inked, it's great that the title is the focal piece.

The intricate floral pattern frames the tattoo title and looks nice in front of the starburst lighting blue pattern. Lighting is super important to the plot so it's nice that the lighting is incorporated but it's subtle. Just by looking at the cover, readers know the novel is a fantasy.

If you want to know more about the cover process, check out what Jenny Zemanek, Eric Smith's cover artist, has to say here.