Book Cover Project - The House Witch
A mockup showing the illustrated front and back covers for the book “The House Witch”.
This book cover illustration was created as a personal portfolio project based on The House Witch by Delemhach.
The story follows Finlay Ashowan, a royal cook with a magical secret, whose meals quietly stir up more than just appetites. I wanted the cover to focus entirely on the thing readers fall in love with most — the enchanting food and drink Fin creates in his kitchen.
The entire cover is built around dynamic food illustration and magical kitchen storytelling.
From apple pies assembling mid-air to floating herbs getting chopped magically, splashing stews and chilled lavender-mint tea, scrumptious steaks and self-tossing salads — everything is in motion, driven by Fin’s quiet magic. Each ingredient and dish was thoughtfully designed as a nod to the delicious moments in the book, rendered to feel warm, cozy, and full of life.
For the title, I kept the lettering simple but gave it a glittery golden texture to stand out against the rich backdrop of food, spice, and magical kitchen chaos — bringing just the right amount of glow without overpowering the details. I also brought in a soft medieval-inspired banner for the author’s name to complement the magical domestic feel of the piece.
Below, you’ll find the initial sketch, colour blocking, final illustration, mockups, and close-ups of individual food props and visual effects.
Final sketch layout for The House Witch book cover, showing magical dishes and swirling ingredients in motion as part of an energetic, food-focused fantasy illustration.
Base colour stage of The House Witch book cover illustration, establishing a harmonious, warm palette used for the food and drink elements throughout the composition.
Final illustrated cover for The House Witch, featuring hand-lettered title and author name, along with detailed renderings of magical meals, drinks, and cooking effects across both front and back covers.
Printed Book Sample
This sample book was printed to showcase how my illustrated book covers translate into real-world formats.
I prepared the artwork to match the dimensions of a standard US Royal hardcover, following trim and spine specifications suitable for print.
The final printed result in the form of this book stays true to the intended colours and composition seen in the digital version, with print-appropriate preparation to ensure a strong, accurate visual match.
(Please note: This is a blank interior sample printed solely for portfolio display. The cover design is not affiliated with the original publisher.)
Timelapse of Full Process
Here’s a quick time-lapse capturing the entire illustration process, completed in Procreate.