Taming the Wolf Book Design Process
Design & Illustration
I created the illustration and jacket design for the book, Taming the Wolf: Resolving the Conflicts Ruining Your Life and its companion, the Conflict Resolution Journal Workbook. I’ve detailed the process here.
The Front Cover
Taming the Wolf is a conflict resolution manual based on the peacemaking tradition of St. Francis of Assisi. For the front cover, we chose a wolf’s face that could simultaneously be dangerous or compassionate depending on the reader’s current state of mind with regards to conflict. The front cover needed to represent the beginning stages of the conflict resolution process and reflect the intense emotions conflict produces. I created the following painting from an array of Arctic wolf photographs.
The Back Cover
While the front cover represents the early, aberrant stage of conflict, the back cover illustrates the latter stages, in which parties have reconciled. I chose to paint an image of St. Francis walking together with the wolf.
The Journey
Thus the jacket design mirrors the book’s journey as it guides readers through the stages of conflict resolution.