This document provides instructions and examples for a classroom activity where students create book cover designs using the batik technique of wax resist dyeing. Students are asked to design a simple cover that tells the story of their favorite childhood book in the fewest terms. Examples of classic book covers and illustrations are presented. Guidelines are provided for the batik process using a tjanting tool to apply hot wax outlines before dyeing. Assessment criteria focus on experimentation, selection of resources and techniques.

1. Starter Activity – DO NOW IN YOUR BOOK
Use your own information in your book and the sheet that is on your desk (stick into
book)
Add to your mind map the key aspects of your chosen childhood story:
• The Synopsis of the story (the basic outline)
• The characters
• The visual imagery (objects, clothes etc) associated
with the story (i.e. Cinderella’s glass slipper)
• Colours associated with the story
• Shapes and style of the imagery
• Feelings that you have towards the book
These are the key aspects for your concertina book (watercolour, photos etc)

2. Can you judge a book by it’s cover?
Aim/Objective:
• How can the front cover design tell the story in
the simplest possible terms?
• Students use prior understanding of composition
(visual reading) for the placement of the simple
book cover design.
• Students use the batik method to create simpler
(less fussy) front cover designs. Text can be added
afterwards if need be.

3. All; create a ‘simple’ book design that acts as
guide for where the wax is to be placed
Most; create the wax outline using a Tjanting tool
for their book cover design
Some; Complete the dye and water process over
their wax resist ‘simple’ book cover design.
Students have carefully considered the
composition - how the image will be read.

5. Which Assessment Objective does this activity
cover?
AO2 (20 marks out of 80)
Refine their ideas through experimenting and
selecting appropriate resources, media,
materials, techniques and processes.
1–4 Minimal ability = F/E
5–8 Some ability = D
9–12 Generally consistent = C
13-16 Consistent = B/A
17-20 Highly developed = A/A*

6. Book Cover Design
Bold New Looks for
‘The Secret History’
The United Kingdom division of Penguin Books in 2009
challenged design students to ‘design a fresh and bold
new look’ for Donna Tartt’s 1992 novel The Secret
History. Their mission: to create a striking, imaginative
cover design that would bring the cult classic to a new
generation of readers.

7. The original covers for the book – What visual clues are given for the story?

9. The Secret History – basic synopsis
- Set in New England, The Secret History tell s the story of a closely knit group of six classics
students, at a small elite Vermont College.
- The story is an inverted detective story, rather a ‘Whodunit’ but a ‘whydunit’
- The narrator Richard Papen reflects, years later, on a situation that led to a murder within
the group.
- The impact on the students is ultimately destructive, and the potential of many young lives
is lost to circumstances.
- The story parallels, in many ways, a Greek Tragedy with fate dictating the very
circumstances that lead to an escalation of already fermenting issues.
Which cover works the best?

10. Ben Cain
2009 competition

11. Ben Cain - commended
We particularly like Ben Cain’s
typographical approach. Inspired by
Ancient Greek tablets, he aimed to
capture ‘the potential to lose control.
As the structure of the type gets closer
to the spine it becomes increasingly
unstable, attempting to communicate
the descent form order to chaos.’

14. Peter Adlington

15. Peter Adlington – Winner
The Stockport College student won for
this abstract cover design, in which we
detect a distinct Saul Bass vibe.
“It’s beautiful, and the infinite regress
doorway tells the story, gives you the
mystery in the simplest possible terms,
and that’s what graphic design at its
best can do,” said novelist (and design
enthusiast)
Hari Kunzru, one of the judges. “ Just a
few shapes and you have the whole
concept”.
Alas, Adlington’s design won’t be
produced - as far as we know – but he
does get £1, 000 and a six- week
internship at Penguin’s London design
studio.

16. • Create your own front cover for your
concertina book (the essence of your
favourite childhood story).
• Remember to tell the story in the
simplest possible terms. That is what
a graphic designer/illustrator at its
best can do.

17. Batik is a “resist” process for making designs on fabric. The artist uses wax to
prevent dye from penetrating the cloth, leaving “blank” areas in the dyed fabric.
Batik is especially unique due to the way certain wax blends will “crackle”
during handling, where fine cracks through the wax resist allow lines of color on
resisted areas. Batik originates from Indonesia and the Tjanting tool acts as the
vessel for the hot wax to be transferred from the hot wax pot to the material.
Step 1– Draw your design onto paper. Go over the outline in felt pen (this acts
like tracing paper).
Step 2 – Place the Tjanting tool in the hot wax. Wipe the bottom of the tool, so
there is no dripping wax. Practice onto some sugar paper or newsprint before
you try your design, to ensure your are confident with the flow of the wax. Note
– the more horizontal you hold the tool the slower the flow of the wax.
Step 3 – Draw onto the material, ensuring the wax completely goes through.
Remember that where the wax goes this will remain the colour of the white
cotton.
Step 4 – Using the dye and water paint over your design. Use the dye like you
would water colour. The more concentrated the colour the darker it comes out.
Note where the wax is the dye resists.

18. Examples of Batik –
Wax resist

19. Illustrator - Vera Southgate
The Three Little Pigs
1965 (Ladybird books)
The second little pig met a man
carrying some sticks
The third little pig saw the wolf at
the window
The wolf blows down the straw house in a
1904 adaptation of the story. Illustration by
Leonard Leslie Brooke
Three Little Pigs is a fairytale featuring anthropomorphic pigs who build three houses of
different materials. A big bad wolf is able to blow the first two pigs houses down but is unable
to destroy the house made of bricks. Printed versions date back to the 1840s, but the story itself
is thought to be much older (folklore). Ringing proverbial phrases:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in." "No, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin." "Then
I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down.”

20. E H Shepard (illustrator)– Winnie
the Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh
Bear, is a fictional bear created by A.A
.Milne. Milne named the character
Winnie-the-Pooh after a teddy bear
owned by his son, Christopher Robin
Milne, who was the basis for the
character Christopher Robin.
Christopher’s toys also lent their
names to most of the characters in the
book.

21. Nick Sharratt, collaborating illustrator
with Jaqueline Wilson (author) comments:
“When I was asked to draw the pictures
for The Story of Tracy Beaker in 1990 I had
no idea that illustrating Jacqueline’s books
would form such a large part of my career,
that we’d still be working together all this
time later and that it would be the start of
a wonderful friendship too!
Tracy is put into foster care
because she's been
neglected by her mother.
Tracy fantasises that her
mum's a glamorous movie
star and that one day she's
coming back to get her, but
that never happens. Wilson
was dealing with really
intense issues in her books.
Wilson's characters always
aspired to something better
– they knew they were
destined for more.

22. Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland
(commonly shortened
to Alice in
Wonderland) is an
1865 novel written by
English author Charles
Lutwidge Godgson
under the pseudonym
Lewis Carroll. It tells of
a girl named Alice who
falls down a rabbit hole
into a fantasy world.
Sir John
Tenniel –
Original
illustrations
for Alice in
Wonderland

23. The Gingerbread Man (also known as The Gingerbread Boy or The
Gingerbread Runner) is a fairy tale about a Gingerbread Man’s escape
from various pursuers and his eventual demise between the jaws of a fox.
The Gingerbread Boy makes his first print appearance in the May 1875
issue of St Nicholas Magazine.
The Gingerbread Man,
Illustrations by Bonnie & Bill
Rutherford, 1963

24. Little Red Riding Hood,
also known as Little Red
Cap or simply Red Riding
Hood, is a European
fairytale about a young
girl and a Big Bad wolf..
1927 Story
anthology

25. Cinderella", or "The Little
Glass Slipper” is a folk
tale embodying a myth-
element of unjust
oppression/triumphant
reward. Cinderella lives in
unfortunate
circumstances that
suddenly change to
remarkable fortune.

26. How can a lonely little polar bear find a friend to play with? The snow cloud
tries to help by making animal shapes out of snow, But they're not real and
the little bear is all alone. Then just as he is about to give up hope, he spies
another little polar bear, But maybe he is not real too? Reviews: "Cabrera
uses bold strokes and dramatic colours to create a dramatic snowy landscape
in this gentle tale of friendship." Junior magazine

27. Angelina Ballerina is a
fictional mouse, created
by author Katherine
Holabird and illustrator
Helen Craig, who is
featured in a series of
children’s books. The
series is set in Chipping
Cheddar, a place similar
to 1920s London , UK.
The first book in the
series was published in
1983, and since the ther
have bee n over twenty
books in the series.

28. Keywords.
• Tjanting tool, wax resist, shape, line, mark-
making, hot wax pot, trace, outline, cotton
material, water, brush
• Extended key words; Negative/positive
space, compositional elements (rule of thirds
etc), concentrated colour, horizontal, vertical.

29. Self Assessment & Plenary
Objective
• All; create a ‘simple’ book design that acts as guide for where the wax is to
be placed
• Most; create the wax outline using a Tjanting tool for their book cover
design
• Some; Complete the dye and water process over their wax resist ‘simple’
book cover design. Students have carefully considered the composition -
how the image will be read.
Like; What is the most successful element? Dislike; What is the least successful
element?
Connections; (what does it remind you of?
Are there connections to the artist?
Challenges; What did you find most
challenging about the process?
If you were to attempt the process again, how would you change your work?

30. Can you judge a book by it’s cover?
Plenary –
Self Assess (written) Peer Assess (oral)
Aim/Objective:
• How can the front cover design tell the story in the simplest possible
terms?
• Students use prior understanding of composition (visual reading) for the
placement of the simple book cover design.
• Students use the batik method to create simpler (less fussy) front cover
designs. Text can be added afterwards if need be.
• All; create a ‘simple’ book design that acts as guide for where the wax is
to be placed
• Most; create the wax outline using a Tjanting tool for their book cover
design
• Some; Complete the dye and water process over their wax resist ‘simple’
book cover design. Students have carefully considered the composition -
how the image will be read.