The Project

Robert Seminara’s The Unreliable Narrator and The Raven-Haired Girl explores the narrator’s PTSD following service as an Army Ranger, drug addiction, and a toxic relationship. The author originally requested a simple cover. I developed a more layered concept that brought several of the book’s themes together on the front cover, then carried that visual language into a companion poster.

The Visual Challenge

The composition needed to bring several emotionally charged subjects together. I used photographic collage to connect the narrator’s military experience with the girl at the center of the relationship. The tattoo represents his Army Ranger background and the military trauma explored in the book. On the back cover, the narrator holds a piece of paper containing an excerpt from one of the book’s poems, bringing the text itself into the composition.

Compositing and Technique

To make the tattoo look like part of the skin, I used a displacement map in Photoshop. This made the tattoo follow the surface detail of the arm instead of appearing as a flat graphic placed over the photograph. The finished artwork combines the photographic elements with contrasting lettering and handwritten accents.

A Late-Stage Revision

Near completion, the model withdrew permission to use her image as originally shown. We agreed on a revised treatment with a black bar covering her eyes. I incorporated that change into the artwork while preserving the overall composition.

The Finished Work

The author was especially pleased that the front cover brought together more than one of the book’s themes, exceeding his expectations for the original, simpler brief. The final cover and companion poster carry the same visual language across both formats. This project brought together conceptual image-making, detailed Photoshop compositing, and adaptation to a significant change late in the design process.