Another interesting project I set myself was to design the cover and sleeve for the book Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K, Massie.
History offers few eras richer in drama than the last years of Imperial Russia. Tsar Nicholas II, ruler of one sixth of the earth and more than 120 million Russians, presided over a glittering world of huge palaces, lavish balls, and incomparable luxury.
I aimed to capture the personality of the Tsar and his family, their worried and slightly haunting expressions forewarning the viewer on the front page of the book about the misery that will eventually befall the family.
I aimed to capture the personality of the Tsar and his family, their worried and slightly haunting expressions forewarning the viewer on the front page of the book about the misery that will eventually befall the family.
I think the chunky black sleeve with very bold text and the Tsar's coat of arms; the double headed eagle, is very striking and would make the book stand out on a book shelf.
On the back cover I drew a crowd of peasants and middle class Russians. During the final days of the Tsar family being in their home The House of Romanov, thousands of people crowded outside the gates, waiting for the Tsar to respond to their demands. I had a little bit of fun with this crowd, as hidden in the bottom right corner of my drawing is a Leninist man handing out a little red book with a secret symbol on.
