Keepsake - Cover design 2.0

A vision board 

After much brainstorming with my well wishers who have adopted this book as much as me, here is the overall vision board of the cover design for the illustrator and designing team 

Blurb 

(To understand the themes of stories and the content at the back page of the cover) 

Life gives us stories to tell. 

Pressing flowers between pages, curating old stamps and coins. Old photos, letters, books, and heirlooms. Telling stories and histories, keepsaking memories on paper. 

A daughter remembers her mother, a journey across partition, a reader turns into a character, a bickering couple, and enchanting tales of childhood and life choices. Just like moments in life, some stories are light-hearted and some intense. Each story having a heart of its own.

With profound understanding of human emotions, Keepsake delves into the intricacies of storytelling, relationships, identity, nostalgia, and the universal quest for belonging. 

The theme is memories and keepsakes of stories and lives 

Life gives us stories to tell. The cover page is like a wall where you put together the symbols, memories and keepsakes of a life lives and remembered. It must be spaced out (not crowded) so it looks good even in a short size when sold online as a thumbnail print  

The look and feel - illustrative and drawn up  

Illustration like an old wall with keepsakes of different things collected over a lifetime. 

Although it should not be so crowded and spaced out so it appears readable in thumbnail. 

The characters and profiles of people in photos to be Indian or south Asian 

The sides of various picture frames can also be borrowed from this picture 

It was originally blue but I have made the color dull, it can be brighter and still nostalgic. Refer the colors below. 

The Colors to be bright pastels but subtle 

While this is only white and beige with shades of sepia. Illustration can have brighter colors but in vintage style - as in dull shades of red, yellow, green, beige and brown. Refer sample colors from the picture below. 

The Fonts to be vintage and classy or handwritten 

Preferably vintage fonts but simple and easily readable. I like the one attached called ‘Thoughts’ either for writing the title or author name. In some cases use handwritten font so it gives nostalgia feeling but still easy to read by all 

The Illustrations 

The wall frames extend both sides from back to front page from left to right. Back to back wall with -frames - consisting photos of people faces, profiles and silhouettes. 

Use variety of frames below and turn these pictures into illustrations. These are connected to the stories but also generic to be connected to all. 

• Framed - painting of old farm couple 

• Framed - Old stamp of a train 

- Framed - Vintage ear rings 

• Framed - Oval mirror 

- Framed - palmistry book cover

• Small wooden shelf with 5 Books of different shades and reducing size with  text ~~~ ~~ ~~  on spines with spectacles on top

Or

With spectacles 

Or 

Make sure the frames and things are spaced out so it’s clear and legible in an online thumbnail. If space permits then add these but make sure it’s not cluttered 

Extra - if needed to fill frames and the space 

• Framed - family photo of father and son Indian profiles 
• Framed- a married couple with a baby. Man has headgear, moustache and short kurta. Woman in Punjabi suit carrying child in her hands 
• Framed - a fancy cup of tea or a classy liquor bottle 
• Framed - profile of a revolver 
• flowers in vase on small wooden shelf or framed plant 
• A clock 
• Sewing box or sewing stitches like running, French knot, blanket stitch etc 

The title and author name 

The border has to be graceful, vintage with curvy border and filegree work. Again shades of sepia, orange and mustard 

It can be in the center, top or bottom of the page. 

The blurb 

Written on a hand made paper in hand written style. Some background can show with 10-20% transparency 

The spine  

spine to be cream white or sepia yo attract attention with clear name of 

The author profile 

Thumbnail Photo of author and brief on the 

• inside side of the front cover. It can be in the middle of the page
• Or bottom of back page 

Let’s try and see which one looks better 

Opening quote on Nostalgia can be on the page on the right side (middle) 

The Thumbnail

The visual must look appealing, clear and visible in an ebook version or an online thumbnail version 

Pls do share your thoughts.