John Witte

This project began by developing a set of icons to represent a group of animals with the idea that they would be used in an application.  After choosing nocturnal animals, I drew them in several styles, choosing a geometric style. Native American quilt patterns as well as 1920’s art deco design were the primary influences of the final look.  After the icons were finished, I decided to illustrate covers for a book series with the animals as subject matter.  A lot of time went into developing the story for the books. Early ideas included, an anthology series of people trapped in the wilderness who encounter the different animals. The final is a story of a 1920’s bootlegging crime family.  The art deco look was extended onto the covers with each bearing a piece of the same design to create unity.  To add a final touch, the spine art was crafted so that the pieces of the design from the front covers they each bore, came together.