I've been interested in editorial design for a few years, and have my fair share of book cover designs. But magazine covers just have that something. I enjoy observing media in which journalism meets art. How information about a real and interesting subject is portrayed artistically, how it calls for attention.
I can't exactly remember where the idea to simmulate magazine covers came from, but I knew I wanted to start with Berserk. When observing the art of Berserk, the immense amount of detail and brutality of the plot are some of the most prominent aspects in the manga series. I am, however, a character designer at heart. Character designs are always what I notice first.
The elegance and meaning in each part of the characters created by Miura-Sensei never ceases to amaze me. I caught myself imagining them in alternative scenarios, displaying that style in different situations, different fantasies. For this series of fan-arts simmulating fashion magazine covers, there was no better character to start than Griffith, The White Hawk.
As of now, my only inspiration are Vogue covers, the main reference for this one being a Lady Gaga cover from 2011. Berserk is mainly set in the fictional country of Midland, so I decided to name this publication "MDLND". With digital painting made in Krita and text editing in Photoshop, along with some color grading, this piece was done in about two hours, serving as an exercise to integrate typography with painting, as well as a character design study.
One interesting element is the background, the individual water-drop-shaped cells are inspired by the hawk motifs commonly depicted in the character of Griffith.
For his outfit, I mixed a royal, ostentatious style with metalic elements. Griffith is designed to look angelical and alluring, so I gave modern fashion twist to that design. I also knew from the start that I wanted the fur to remain flat, in contrast with the detailed and textured elements around it, referencing a Vogue issue from 2019 starring Dua Lipa.
Doing the face is always my favorite part. I'm a Drag King, I love painting faces, I love carving cheekbones and noses like marble, and Griffith sure is fun to draw. I added golden makeup and a coral glossy lipstick, creating the look of a fashion-corrupted angel.
And to finish my work, I also filmed and edited a timelapse to the sound of Vogue, by Madonna.
I would say this piece has been one of my dearest love letters to pop culture. A fun exercise, the start to a brand new series, and my kindest regards to Kentaro Miura's legacy. As a recent fan, I wish I was there when Miura-Sensei was still with us, I wish I could've been part of the cultural phenomenon that is Berserk. But this story isn't over, and this is my contribution now.
