Portfolio
:format(webp)/http://s3.amazonaws.com/projects-files/216/21683/2168328/363eacba-657b-49d5-9762-39a469a51210.jpg "Custom illustrated ebook cover for The Lucia Situation, a Christmas romance novella by Alva Lind, set in Stockholm.
I created a festive winter scene featuring the two main characters, combining hand-drawn illustrations, vintage halftone textures, warm lighting, and bold retro typography.
The challenge was to capture the magic of a Scandinavian Christmas while maintaining visual consistency with The Striker Situation, the first cover I designed for the Stockholm North Stars series.
The result is a romantic, cinematic cover with a distinctive retro aesthetic and a cohesive series identity.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/165/165518/attachment_165518837 "A retro-inspired sports romance cover blending the charm of a vintage paperback with the colorful atmosphere of a Scandinavian travel poster. Set against the Stockholm waterfront, the illustration combines romance and football through a warm, playful visual style, while the blue, white and gold palette creates the identity of the fictional Stockholm North Stars.
The full wrap extends the cityscape across the spine and back cover, creating a continuous illustrated world and a strong visual identity designed to carry through the series.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/165/165519/attachment_165519084 "Vintage-inspired book cover design for Treasure at Sea, a memoir about a mother’s journey through medically complex parenting.
The concept combines hand-drawn and digitally painted nautical elements with an ornate vintage aesthetic. The pearl represents both the “treasure” of the title and the child at the heart of the story, while the boat and turbulent sea evoke the mother’s emotional journey.
The full wrap extends the visual language across the spine and back cover, with subtle textures and small illustrative details designed to reveal themselves gradually and reward a closer look.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/165/165189/attachment_165189672 "The concept draws inspiration from the theatrical atmosphere of the story, combining deep red curtains, a dramatic spotlight, a ballerina silhouette and intertwining thorns to create a sense of beauty, danger and mystery.
The curtain and ballerina artwork were created by hand, with layered textures and subtle halftone details adding depth and a slightly vintage, illustrated feel. Elegant custom-styled typography contrasts with the darker imagery and reinforces the romantic side of the story.
The visual identity was extended across the full paperback wrap, with coordinated spine and back-cover elements including thorns, roses and theatrical details for a cohesive final design.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/164/164533/attachment_164533208 "Book cover design for Elephants and Flowers: Finding Myself Through Prince, a literary memoir exploring identity, resilience and personal transformation.
The concept combines a hand-drawn watercolor illustration with refined editorial typography to create a warm, intimate and timeless atmosphere. The elephant and lotus symbolize strength, vulnerability and personal growth, while the handcrafted paper element evokes the feeling of a treasured memory preserved over time.
The project included the complete cover design (front, spine and back cover), typography, layout and print-ready preparation for both paperback and hardcover editions.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/165/165527/attachment_165527491 "Book cover concept for a hard science fiction novel set on Enceladus, one of Saturn’s icy moons. The artwork combines a vast frozen landscape, an isolated astronaut and the monumental presence of Saturn to convey exploration, scale and the hostility of an extreme environment.
The composition was developed as a continuous wraparound design, with Saturn’s rings extending naturally from the front to the back cover. Multiple photographic elements were carefully composited, color graded and relit to create a cohesive, cold and cinematic atmosphere while maintaining a strong visual hierarchy and clear typography.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/164/164566/attachment_164566224 "Book cover concept created for a dystopian techno-thriller exploring artificial intelligence, control and the boundaries between the digital and human worlds.
The composition combines a monumental coded structure, a fractured beam of light and two human silhouettes to create a sense of scale, tension and mystery. A cold, dark color palette with subtle red accents reinforces the technological and threatening atmosphere, while the distressed typography gives the title a strong and immediate presence.
The design was developed as a complete visual concept, combining image compositing, typography, color grading and atmospheric effects.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/165/165238/attachment_165238424 "A dark and atmospheric book cover created for a Gothic ghost story set in the Victorian era.
The composition combines a spectral female figure emerging through smoke, drifting black feathers, a mysterious manor and a hand tracing a glowing symbol — creating a visual connection between the physical and supernatural worlds.
Deep blue tones, aged textures and subtle Victorian ornamentation reinforce the haunting historical atmosphere, while the strong typographic treatment keeps the title immediately readable.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/165/165242/attachment_165242345 "A gothic horror book cover built around an unsettling Victorian interior, where an open door invites the viewer into the darkness of Grangehurst. The abandoned rocking horse adds an eerie sense of childhood and lost innocence, while the cold blue-green palette, aged textures and warm light beyond the doorway create tension between mystery and danger.
The composition combines atmospheric photomontage, detailed image editing and strong typography to create a haunting, cinematic cover with a distinctly vintage gothic feel.")
:format(webp)/99designs-contests-attachments/165/165178/attachment_165178785 "A bold and playful book cover design blending romance and true crime aesthetics. The concept plays with the contrast between “cute” and “murder” through oversized distressed typography, a fingerprint, a couple silhouette and crime-scene-inspired details.
The visual identity was extended across the full wrap, with a coordinated spine and back cover designed to maintain the same playful yet slightly dangerous tone.")
:format(webp)/99designs-work-samples/work-sample-designs/1834958/1730ca32-fb94-4aa5-b6f9-c46573225ea1 "The concept combines a bold, vintage-inspired typographic treatment with a narrative illustration. A winding path leads four cleaners through a Minnesota forest toward the hint of a crime scene, creating a visual connection between the book’s title and its mystery storyline.
I developed the characters, landscape and graphic elements in a simplified illustrated style, using a limited palette of teal, red, sand and cream. Distressed textures and retro typography add a subtle 1950s pulp-fiction influence while keeping the overall design contemporary.
The complete paperback design includes the front cover, spine and back cover, prepared with print production in mind.")
:format(webp)/99designs-work-samples/work-sample-designs/1834958/7cba605e-1b1b-4043-b6d7-e8d33bfcdb97 "A dark fantasy book cover combining hand-drawn ink and pencil textures with symbolic elements inspired by the story. The composition features a mysterious compass-like rosette, a bloodied fingerprint and expressive linework to create a sense of mystery, danger and adventure.
The restrained palette and handcrafted illustration style were designed to give the cover a distinctive, atmospheric identity while maintaining strong readability at thumbnail size.")
About
French graphic designer & illustrator with 22 years of experience in visual communication, freelance since 2007. Trained at the École des Arts Décoratifs with a Master’s in Graphic Design & Multimedia. I specialize in book covers & illustration, as well as branding, print and digital design. From concept to final artwork, I combine visual storytelling, typography and creativity. I like to agitate pixels and bring ideas to life. Open for 1-to-1 collaborations.
http://www.skartworks.fr
Country:
France.
Member since:
December 03, 2014
Reviews
"I can 100% recommend working with Sandra. This time we did a 1-to-1 project and it was great. She is very creative, her work is extremely polished, she is very open for feedback and changes. It's simply a joy to work together. "
alva.lind
reviewed 2 days ago
"This was simply a fantastic experience. Sandra is a wonderful designer and the work with her was great."
alva.lind
reviewed 21 days ago
"I think we made a pretty great team on this one, Alva! Creating Erik and Ella and the whole Stockholm North Stars atmosphere was such a fun project. Thank you for your trust! "
Skartworks
responded 21 days ago
"My experience with Sandra was phenomenal! She gave me exactly what I wanted and was very professional in her work! "
ceciliambarbarR
reviewed about 1 month ago
"Thank you so much, Cecilia! It was truly a pleasure working with you and bringing your vision for The Vane Curse to life. I really enjoyed developing the cover and its atmosphere, and I’m so happy that the final design was exactly what you were looking for. Wishing you and The Vane Curse every success!"
Skartworks
responded about 1 month ago
"Sandra is a joy and a pleasure to work with. She's very open to collaboration, very good at incorporating feedback, and very dedicated to capturing the precise design aesthetic a client wants. She's also very patient, which I really appreciate. Her work..."
"Sandra is a joy and a pleasure to work with. She's very open to collaboration, very good at incorporating feedback, and very dedicated to capturing the precise design aesthetic a client wants. She's also very patient, which I really appreciate. Her work on my cover was fantastic, and the whole collaborative process was smooth from start to finish. Highly recommended!"
C.L. Johnson
reviewed about 2 months ago
"Thank you so much, Chris! It was truly a pleasure working with you on Elephants and Flowers. I really enjoyed our collaboration and the care we both put into every detail of the cover. I’m very proud of the final result and incredibly happy that it reflects the vision you had for your book. Wishing Elephants and Flowers all the success it deserves!"
Skartworks
responded about 2 months ago
"Made my vision come to life, easy to work with, and super understanding of all design changes. A true artist!"
tylerjohnkolZ
reviewed about 1 year ago
"Thank you very much. It was really nice to work with you too. "
Skartworks
responded about 1 year ago