Graphic Design
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Book Design
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The goal for the book design was to choose a novel and redesign the book wrap, along with the title page and chapter breaks.
With the book wrap, the design was based on symbolism seen throughout the novel. One of the pieces symbolized within the novel is the duality to the main character; Dorian Gray. On one hand, Dorian is a young, handsome and wealthy man in Victorian England. However, he is also a man who commits sin throughout the novel in his pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle.
One way to represent the duality of Dorian Gray was through the ripped wallpaper revealing a brick wall underneath. For the wallpaper, a Victorian wallpaper colored a sickly green was utilized. The style of wallpaper represents the era of the book, along with Dorian’s status within the novel. The green in the wallpaper contrasts this and represents the other side to Dorian that commits heinous crimes.
Similar to the use of the color green for the wallpaper, the underlying brick represents the other side of Dorian that commits sin throughout the novel. In addition, the brick represents the run down parts of London where Dorian commits his crimes.
In order to implement analog design with the book cover design, a wallpaper and brick wall paper were printed. The wallpaper was hand ripped and crumpled to create creases within the paper. Then, it was placed over the brick paper and scanned. For the title on the cover, chalk pastel was used to write on the brick.
For the title page, the title of the book along with a Victorian silhouette were utilized. The type used was taken from the cover and placed in the same position as the cover. The silhouette that is used with both the title page and chapter breaks represent the silhouettes seen within the Victorian era. The silhouette also represents the main character of the novel.