Charle Huston Book covers

these are modern book covers which i felt really embodied the film noir genre ( it was interesting to investigate modern interpretations of film noir) i really like the broken sections of the 'dead' which conincides with the background black silhouettes which contrasts against the red  figures which help to break up the mass of black. i also really like how the figures have shadows which make the floor more interesting. there is also a sense of a gradient at the edges of the block of white which draws the eye inwards diagonally to the top of the frame ( to the clock). in this cover the positioning of the text introduces a directionality, its size filling most of the bottom the vibrant red framed by the solid black.

 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC044wHS9HqLSIfvrpy5_2mtvVTULghNrMOtSCPrbrqtEMVACaOFbgL0-IqdVKnuuxNRUZhLLfYGa76wScGHYEiMY43JPIVqikQfd6x7xeoekslPlq0T-8_3dnLdiRtPcLQL_z7OT3c48/s1600/My+Dead+Body+UK.jpg

 

  this is one of my favourite covers- i really like the style - its a little jagged like Matisses work but its more realistic and reminds me a lot of the casino royale bond cover researched in the very beginning of the project. for something thats in actuality pretty grim the yellow and red colour scheme introduce a fun cartoony quality. although the figure is supposed to be laying down ( the outline of a body on the floor which is conveyed by the furniture on the edge of the cover) it does almost look like the silhouette is standing upright. perspective is inroduced as the head looks to be smalled than the legs which diagonally draws the eye downwards to the text which has been placed on the body. the bright yellow colour ensures that the silhouette is the focal point which in turn places focus on the text.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/files/2009/02/l110419-1.jpg

 

 

this cover again manipulates a film noir colour scheme which is something that i plan to use. again the text has been placed at the bottom of the design which makes directs the eye to the figure and then up to the author name. the red font contrasts against the monochrome backdrop and i think that theres a sinister quality which hasnt been evident in the two covers above. and there is more of an order generated through the straight lines which break up the white skyline. the bloody style of the font instantly conveys  a horror/thriller genre and there is a sense of balance indicated by the two sets of text- the obvious larger red title has been mirrored by the smaller authors name. the smaller size of the name conicides with the overall perspetive of the bridge ( and the vanishing point which is dominated by the red character).

http://www.lovevampires.com/images/halfbrooklyn.jpg