About this project
The following project was to design the cover and inside spread for a poem of our choosing using only handmade type and illustrations. I chose a poem by the classic Chinese poet Li Bai titled, “Quiet Night Thoughts”. I wanted to challenge myself by finding a way to balance the classic writing style with modern adaptations of type and illustration.
An important aspect of Asian aesthetics is the idea that “less is more”, so I wanted to create an atmospheric space that referenced traditional Chinese art styles from a modern, contemporary viewpoint. This project really challenged me because I have always seen myself as more of a designer than an illustrator. One struggle I faced was bringing the strengths of my design mindset into the realm of handmade type and illustration. I chose to represent the theme of the poem more abstractly following an image of a rabbit arriving upon a blue lake.
