GRENDEL
BOOK COVER DESIGN
Graphic Design / Typography / Prop Design & Fabrication
Published in 1971, Grendel is a modern classic by the author John Gardner. From the antagonist's point-of-view, the novel retells one of the more famous stories from the Old English poem Beowulf. In the book, Grendel is an antihero struggling to find meaning in the world, decipher the power of language and myth, and reconcile the good and evil powers living inside him. He is a lonely figure who's intellect and sadness fuel the angry, destructive forces he wields against the people of Hrothgar's Hall.
Having read the novel several times over the years, this was a dream project and allowed me to infuse into the cover design what I believe had been missing in its previous printings.
I immediately knew the design needed to focus on a portrait, which would be in the form of a mask. In an existential crisis, the main character struggles with how much the humans and he share in common, but they only see him as a monster. The prop I created was inspired by the illustrations of Emil Antonucci, who's character drawings have been included in every printing. See the images below for a step-by-step view of the mask’s construction.
Inspiration: Emil Antonucci's illustrations of the novel's main character and pagan mask designs. The artist's drawings of Grendel have been included in every printing.
Step 1: Building a structural foundation from cardboard and wooden dowels.
Step 2: Expanding the forms and textures with jute, string, and found objects from nature.
Step 3: Applying layer-upon-layer of carbon-based ink.
Step 4: Waiting for each coating of ink to absorb into the wood. Eventually, satisfied with the tone and texture, I moved on to the final touches.
Step 5: To simulate blood, everpresent, on Grendel's beard and mane, I applied multiple layers of Diamine, Oxblood colored ink.
Step 6: Photographing the expression of human emotion emanating from within the mask.
