The Nerve

This is a microscopic image of a nerve cell. For the front cover of The Nerve by Virago I am to create a front cover illustration. I like this image becasue of the bright blue colour instead of a red blood colour you would usually associate with a nerve.

Virago

Virago

The target audiece ranges from 18-80 roughly.

Virago

This is Viragos logo. Some say the apple is representative of the apple that was eaten by Eve in the garden of Eiden. A woman took the first bite. Virago believe that women should take the first bite in other words take control and be successful doing so.

Virago

Throughout the seventies and the eighties Virago published some of the major feminist thinkers including Kate Millett, Adrienne Rich, Eva Figes, Angela Carter, Juliet Mitchell, Lynne Segal, Sheila Rowbotham, and Elaine Showalter. The Unique Selling Point of Virago is that all of their stories are written by female authors and aimed at a range of ages. They are amed at anyone who can appreciate high quality writing.

Theatrical (Glowing,Intense,Poetic,Mysterious,Radiant)

Flashes of phosphorescent brilliance mix with traditional hues.

Abstract (Aesthetic,Assured,Tawny,Flawless,Archetypal)

L’Esprit Seage LutensPublisher: Editions Assouline 1992, ISBN 2908228-05-X

The post-modernist earthy mid-tone.

Black/Greys/White

Real AllegoriesBy Olivier RichonPublisher: Steidl VerlagISBN: 3865210910

Archetypal monochromatic tones range from flawless black, and warm or cool greys to purest white.

Pink Neutrals

Dior: 60 Years Of StyleBy Farid Chenoune and Laziz HamaniPublisher: Thames & HudsonISBN: 0500513899

A collection of fresh, muted, powdery shades.

Blues

L'Esprit Serge Lutens: The Spirit of BeautyBy Serge LutensPublisher: Editions AssoulineISBN: 290822805X

Oily navy underpins a range of flat tones, from cool blue greys to a vibrant royal blue.

Colour palette

Colour for Interiors autumn/winter 2009/10 is a season of extremes - from light to dark, natural to hi-tech, traditional to modern, and handmade to mass-produced.
Underpinning this approach to the season is a layer of atmospheric light. It lifts and surprises, enhancing colour tones across every palette.

For my internal book illustration I will only be using back and white or grayscale as colour is not required. However for the front cover book illustration for 'the Nerve' colour is required. For this I intend to use neutral colours with possibley pinks and blues.

Virago front book cover

This is one of the books by Virago publishers. The colour palette indicates this book might be; feminine, romantic and sweet.

Sam Weber

New York Times OpEd Page For a piece of Halloween fiction written by Neil Gaiman

Sam Weber

Sam Weber

Business Week Investing

Shonagh Rae

This image by Shonagh Rae is a brilliant example of negative space and colour. The colours and the mark making appealed to me. Many book covers published by Virago use similar colours.

Josie Jammet

I find this image by Josie Jammet relevant to my brief because it depicts a female, supposedly with class. However it's a surprising image when you notice the lady is actually smoking, she looks like she has been captured off guard.