Portfolio
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/180/18036/1803602/aaea70ea-85b8-407b-95d5-6c55abb94dde.jpg "This novel is the sequel to “Remember Love’s Smile”, whose book cover I had previously designed. The story is about the intriguing influence that a small town in southwestern Italy has on four vacationing Americans.
My starting point was the map of Italy, used as a background where all the other “objects” are placed. The most challenging part of this decision was determining where each detail should appear, to keep the three most important locations visible: Venice, Rome and Ricigliano. The idea of the little pin flags to mark them made the design more real, but also clearer.
In addition to an image where the four characters are presented on a canvas, one of the requirements was to include the painting of “Fumo”, a Lucanian goat. In order to accurately represent this unique character, I did research on this specific breed.
The main image on the back is a detail of a real painting created by Anne Marie Cina, who granted permission to the author to include it on the cover.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/139/13906/1390645/bfe3f32d-cf71-47cf-a858-9a65e4e8c21c.jpg "This romantic comedy novel is meant to be fun, but it’s also a plea to keep family memories alive for future generations. It is set in two different times: Chicago in the 1950s and Arizona in 2019.
The starting point of the design was the desert painting. In fact, I did it in a way that simulates the technic and texture of the paint and, to make it more real, I also added some brushes on the side, as if they were placed on the book itself.
As the artistic theme is a central point of the story, I gathered in this painting several “key details” that are quite important to the plot. The elements at the top of the cover make reference to Italian food, one of the “unexpected” and funny aspects in the story.
The Chicago painting is presented as a symbolic representation of the past: the old photograph that brings the memories of the 1950s. It is a detail of a real painting created by Anne Marie Cina, who granted permission to the author to include it on the back cover.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/26/2607/260755/36a1b0c6-a8e7-49bb-89bd-8aa90b38498c.jpg "This book is an extended version of \"The 10 Commandments of the Modern Caveman\" ebook, which cover I had created previously.
However, this publication comes with a bonus mini-book called “Tuky: Návod na použitie” (The User's Guide to Fats). They are two separate ebooks, but the printed version is basically a 2-in-1, where we can find each subject when we turn the book around.
In terms of design, the author wanted to follow the same approach of the other books in the series, representing caveman drawings in a very simple way and products that are used in the Paleo diet.
The challenge for this project was to make the design different enough that could be easily identified as “two books”, but also with some similarities, in order to keep the balance of the entire book cover (front and back) and also to make the connection with the previous publications.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/128/128546/attachment_128546805 "Aimed for an adult audience (18-45 year old men and women), this is a collection of short sex stories covering romantic episodes and funny bad dates.
I created a very playful design with intense colors and contrasts, in order to catch the attention of the viewers but also to set the “comic atmosphere” that was needed.
The background pattern gave a “50s vibe”, which acted as a starting point to the other design elements.
The illustration of the mouth also added a “spicy” detail to the cover, that is quite consistent with the theme of the book.
This design was a layout proposal and was never published.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/103/103894/attachment_103894291 "Inte som du tror (translated from Swedish \"Not as you think\") is a story that mainly takes place in a school, about two girls with ages around 13 years old.
It talks about how the two girls deal with each other and how their attitudes may hide more severe and private problems.
One of the important details of the story is the finding of an old diary written in the 19th century by a girl of the same age. This diary inspires one the girls to start reading the Bible and pray to God for the other one. That is why I placed one of the main characters as a central point of the cover, holding an old book, while the other girl is seen on the top almost hidden in the middle of her long blonde hair.
As the target group for this book will be teens but also adults, the author didn’t want it to signal teen’s fiction too much.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/25/2559/255963/36be9457-c992-43e6-b6f6-cbe87465f60b.jpg "This book is the record of an intense, probing and ultimately life-transforming conversation between two people.
One of the requests from the author was to include the figure of an \"eccentric duck\" in a dinner table eating sushi. With a complex photomanipulation I was able to create such character, giving it a positive appearance but without having a cartoonish style. Some details like the hat and the bow tie helped to give it a more \"human\" personality.
Just to add a final touch, the landscape on the background also intensified how improbable would be such scenery.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/72/7226/722683/d00ca97b-0a5c-4251-a5d3-e3f8a045bde9.jpg "This is the first book of the Guitar Improv Series, a comprehensive guide to jazz improvisation.
The author and jazz musician, Richie Zellon, wanted an illustration that could represent the flow of his music, as well as a vintage style similar to the jazz covers of the early/mid 20th century.
Since the majority of those covers followed Cubism, I created an illustration with similar traces of that specific art movement. As I’m not a painter it was a big challenge, but also a great opportunity to study more in detail all the aspects of Cubism and Abstract Art and the paintings of specific artists.
The illustration has a visible influence in the work of Kandinsky, because of the flow and unpredictability of his traces, just like the jazz improvisations. Another detail requested by the author was to include in some way his hat, which easily identifies him in all his performances.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/111/111836/attachment_111836164 "This design was made for a fictional drama/romance which story, filled with family dynamics, is set in an equestrian property in Australia.
The main requests from the author were a design with an air of luxury (with details in gold) and the picture of her own mare Anastasia — “I want it to stand out in an almost 3D effect”.
Therefore, I decided to place the image of the horse in a very large scale and also with an effect where it seems to get out of the page. Its body extends to the back cover, giving a deep dark contrast to the entire design. This creates a very dramatic appearance but also a sophisticated style, helped by the warm golden tones on the background and on the title.
Then, I made a line drawing of the house, from the picture that the client had provided of the property in which the story takes place, and I included it on the title... almost as if it were part of its “Logo”.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/151/151754/attachment_151754316 "This book blends elements of suspense, romance and faith, highlighting the themes of truth, forgiveness and community.
The request was to create a design with an atmosphere of mystery, but also with a sense of spirituality.
A realistic, serene valley at sunset with rolling hills and a quaint small town with a chapel were the more important elements, as well as a pathway symbolizing the journey to uncover secrets.
Having these details in mind, I decided to keep the path in the foreground, along with a large tree that frames the entire scene. This allowed me to include the small town on the horizon, closer to the warm light of the sun.
A subtle placement of an old vintage personal journal was also one of the authors' requests, which helped to add another element of mystery to the cover.
This design was a layout proposal and was never published.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/14/1466/146644/c2a49403-5642-4386-aa55-1106000dc9ff.jpg "A fantasy adventure story for 8-12 year old children (middle grade fiction).
This magical story takes place in the interior of a unique library. It's an adventure full of discoveries carried out by a group of children.
The flames and the way that lights were added to the book cover, with its rays and smooth glows, help to give that \"unreal\" feeling to the environment.
The inclusion of a beautiful phoenix was also one of the requests from the author.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/46/4689/468949/6695e465-32ea-43d7-bb35-3c9827ddc0c6.jpg "This is the cover for the first eBook in a Fantasy trilogy.
The design is centered in a particular moment, when the mighty warships of the Syriot Empire attack the distant shores of the Three Kingdoms.
The illustration shows the ferocious pirate Captain Black Bekhar with his feared axe, that fights along side with the invaders, against the troops of the Three Kingdoms (that we see on the cover).
This is a Fantasy series, potentially marked as YA but that also has a lot of violent action and adventure.")
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/47/4747/474796/b6f4e823-f36a-4a61-a975-c7e480013411.jpg "A romantic suspense set in the Colorado Mountains, about a woman who is searching for herself in life.
Running away from a violent ex-husband, this single mom takes refuge in a idyllic resort that she inherits from a friend.
A sunset with a porch in front of a lake, with Rocky Mountains in the background, were some of the details required by the author to include on the book cover.
The sunset colors also helped to give the desired impact, fundamental to catch the attention of the viewers.")
About
Hi! My name is Isabel Robalo.
I'm an experienced Designer working mainly in the Publishing Industry:
• Book and eBook Cover Design
• Interior Book Layout/Typesetting
ISA DESIGN® is a registered brand that represents the services I provide.
Enjoy my portfolio and come back whenever you need a Design project. I will be happy to help you.
Country:
Portugal.
Member since:
November 02, 2013
Reviews
"Working with Isa has been an absolute game changer for me and the team. She completely nailed the brand guide, lead magnet, and all the social media assets, everything looks sharp, aligned, and on-brand. It’s honestly saved me so much time and decision ..."
rezaa.khoshkaj
reviewed 10 days ago
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"As always, Isabel’s designing for me has been overwhelmingly beautiful and professional. You won’t go wrong in hiring this designer. I look forward to working with her again."
susan-grant.com
reviewed 11 days ago
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"Great work every time. Highly recommended."
Anonymous client
reviewed about 1 month ago