The Microscope and the Eye
Design by Isaac Tobin
Designer Isaac Tobin sent this in awhile back. The color, the layout, the slight distressed treatment and the type all suggest old monograph -- appropriate given the subject matter. Isaac, if you're reading: I'm wondering if you tried this with an illustration of the eye that was more scientifically accurate, and if so, why you went with the simpler, more iconic eye? 
9 comments:
The detailed picture of the microscope and the simple, iconic picture of the eye do seem to contrast quite a bit. But I like it. And having a "real" eyeball on the cover of the book would be gross.
I like the contrast with the more modern eye - it works. Nice cover.
Maybe it's just been too long since I was in science class.... But "microscope" didn't read for me. (I thought telescope at first glance.) A more modern scope, with those familiar "hunched shoulders", might have helped.
That said, really fantastic cover. Sensibility and pitch are dead on.
Thanks! I actually drew the iconic eye as a placeholder, intending to replace it with a period-appropriate engraving. However, when I brought in an engraving, I found that I didn't like it as much as the original. I think it was just a bit flat without the contrast in styles.
It was pretty difficult to find a microscope from the right period (1740–1870) that still read clearly as a microscope. My first comp used a microscope from 1890 that looked great, but I thought it was important to be as historically accurate as possible. Most of the microscopes from that era look even less like contemporary microcopes (they often had fixed vertical scopes). The author actually found the final microscope image. FYI, the title is fully written in text on the spine, and a book like this will almost always get displayed spine out.
I almost forgot! Shameless self promotion: you can see more of my work at www.isaactobin.com.
Isaac, I am a great fan of shameless self promotion. Thank you for the link to your site. I enjoyed it very much.
Cheers!
The eye begs to be in the same illustrative style in my opinion.
There needs to be a logical follow through of why it is done that way.
The only one I can come up with and in that case would justify it all would be "A History".
I think this is one of the better covers on this sight.
The eye reads like a cut out to the front page to me,
I love it!
I like the eye!
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