Book Project Process - "Necessity In Nature"

This is a quick overview of my successes and failures with this book project so far. 

Cover Concept (Prior to lazer cut)

My cover I am content with. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do using the lazer cutter to remove the title to revel the background behind it. My concept or reasoning for my backgrounds appearing "bloody" is nature itself. Or at least for the sake of this project a more visually interesting aspect of nature. This stems from my initial concept of life and death in nature. To close in more on the concept "Predator & Prey" in nature. 

Red Gouache on Cold Press Paper. (Page Background Detail)

I created a wash to make my backgrounds. 

First round of cover, and 9 page backgrounds.

These backgrounds were painted to support their word on the page by using varying levels of water mixed into the gouache. For example "Starvation" is almost white with little pigment. 

Most of these are being replaced by new versions with levels of pigment that better represent and enforce their supported word. 

First round of completed pages w/ completed typographic layouts side by side. 

Most of these are being replaced with versions closer to my initial layout designs. 

I lost myself in the imagery and changed the layout in the process to better fit what I saw when looking at the visuals w/ the type. This actually weakened the unity of type and image in my overall design by trying to make them work together when they have to first work alone to be capable of being successful together.