Project:
Illustration and design of promotional piece for a novel
Client:
Independent author Melissa Fondakowski
Project Expertise:
Creative Direction
Illustration
Marketing & Promotional
Out, a novel
I was approached by author Melissa Fondakowski to create an interactive element for her full-length publication, Out. The novel follows a character who wanders throughout the popular stairway walks of San Francisco with the ghost of poet Frank O’Hara. The author wanted to create a companion piece for the book that invited readers to experience the walks in real life.
Form and function
The work of Michael Schwab and vintage paint-by-numbers inspired a limited color, high contrast painting and printmaking look for the icons. Japanese woodblock printing was a major reference point, with its flat planes and use of landscape as frequent subject. As to form, I was inspired also by Herb Lester’s graphic maps of major cities, and developed a similar concept for a pocket-sized map that unfolded to a 2-sided, 11x17 poster.
“There’s nothing like a San Francisco stairway walk”
The map showcased the nine walks featured in the novel. Art direction called for the design of an icon for each stairway walk that represented the experience of the walk and its neighborhood. The folded design would enable the author to slide the map into a clear sleeve affixed to the back cover of the book and sell it as a special edition. It also made it easy for readers to walk from stairway to stairway and refer to the map on-site.
Execution of the art
The following was my process for each piece:
1. On-site photography at various angles
2. Gather existing online imagery to complement source imagery
3. Trace/rough out in pencil sketches to highlight essential components
4. Create color study in marker
5. Develop in illustrator
6. Final coloring and file creation
It takes two
I partnered with a building and planning designer who drafted elevation sketches with broad street mapping to and from each stairway. The maps on one side of the poster correlate to the icons on the opposite side. Folded, it’s a portable companion to the book—a map you can stick in your pocket; unfolded, it’s a frameable print showcasing nine of San Francisco’s hidden gems.
The takeaways
Collaborating with artists in other disciplines to create complementary work was entirely satisfying. The author was extremely generous with her creative brief – indeed, it was wide open and allowed me to stay true to my aesthetic in the interpretation of the material. During this project, I was able to:
• Create a timeless, artful design that works both as a fine art and utilitarian piece
• Provide overall project development and management of artist’s expectations
• Manage and execute the production process (paper selection, print proofing, delivery)
• Collaborate on marketing design ideas that support the artist’s book promotion and sales
