PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

STUDY TASK I - IMAGE  IDEA  CONTEXT 

The Night Circus is a fantastical novel that I am currently reading. 

Shamefully, I have to admit that I am initially drawn to reading this novel due to the cover. Morgenstern's whimsical writing is intensely visual and lucid. Her construction of the circus is so vivid that I could somewhat understand why Helen Musslewhite would illustrate the cover in such a way.

Book cover illustrated by Helen Musslewhite
(http://www.helenmusselwhite.co.uk/projects/book-covers/)

Image

• I think that the illustrator successfully managed to convey the alluring atmosphere through the monochromatic shapes and accented red spirals. Perhaps the composition of how the night circus sits on an open hand suggests a welcome -carpets and banners rolled out.  

• This cover is rather minimalistic with simple block colours and clear-cut lines. I think that the stiffness is balanced out with the swirls and circles, making the image more fluid.

•  Even though it's digital based, the illustration somehow creates the illusion that it is made out of cut-out paper. 

Idea & Context

• I think that Musslewhite had chosen to illustrate the circus because it's the main subject of the novel. Perhaps not only does it serves to advertise the content of the book, it also gives the readers a visual representation of the subject.

•  Though when it comes to illustrating based on narratives, it is very subjective and it would all depend on the illustrator's imagination. There are times where I do not particularly fancy illustrated covers. This is because my mind would be set on that specific visual representation and it is often difficult for me to picture certain descriptions (characters, places etc) with my own interpretation.