Project Description:

This illustration is a cover art for author Rick Yancey’s, The Monstrumologist. The book is an account of a man named Will Henry, who is an apprentice to scientist Dr. Warthrop, whose field of study is monsters. The book is a young adult, gothic horror novel, and so the illustration’s color palette reflects this.

The composition is inspired by art nouveau, specifically the works of Alphonse Mucha. Mucha’s intricate style correlates well with Yancey’s archaic and eerily technical prose. The cover features Dr. Warthrop and the monster of the book, the headless Anthropophagus. Behind them are various medical tools such as gauze, needles, and forceps. The monster and Dr. Warthrop were done with acrylic on canvas to achieve the painterly style. This was then scanned in so the framing and medical equipment could be added digitally.