The hound of the baskervilles

Book cover and layout design for the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. 

I created this illustration to embody the eeriness of the Moorlands on which the Baskervilles estate sits on. I merged the letters of “H” + “B” to create this illustration. The “H” is for hound – and could also be argued for Holmes – while the “B” is for the Baskerville family. I discreetly drew in a hound peaking out of the bottom tree trunks to hint at the mystery of the Baskervilles and give the viewer the “ah-ha!” moment when finding it within the illustration.

The title font is Filson Pro (Regular). I chose this font to have a bold type next to a complex illustration. While there are many bold typefaces out there, I wanted something with a bit of an edge to create interest and link it to the curves of the illustrated letters. I chose the body text to be one of my favorites to read, Chaparral Pro (Regular). This font is very legible and has a different and unique look to it to balance with the Filson Pro.

Below is the initial sketch for this design compared to the final.