Book Design -- James Bama: American Realist

Half Title

Contents Page

The entire 160-page book was designed as spreads rather than pages. 
No two spreads were exactly the same. This spread shows the same
model used in the painting on the left for Tomboy, but also in the
(larger) first printing of The Heller on the right. Additionally, it
showcases a later printing of The Heller painted by Bama,
but using a different model. The use of color backgrounds,
color proofs, covers and photographs allowed for 
more creative designs.

The Harrad Experiment sold millions of copies -- based on the cover art alone.
That distinction demanded that it have its own spread. Bama's photographs
were used not just as a design element, but to allow viewers to see how
they informed the art. Though certainly a Realist, Bama is not a
Photorealist, which  is evident when one critically
compares the photos with the final painting.

In addition to covers and color proofs I had hundreds of photo negatives
taken by Bama during modeling sessions. Including these photos
(some using different models) gave me the opportunity to
examine Bama's creative process.

Chapter breaks were designed to establish both a visual theme and color scheme.

For this project I had to restore every book or magazine cover back to mint
condition. This meant that every title, author's name, caption, price point,
and logo was digitally recut. In certain cases, as with this photo, the
artifact on the left fell out of frame once the image was enlarged to
fit the spread, so I moved it into frame to enhance the design.