Sadness Young Adult Book Cover Design (Featuring silhouette, sky, and shadows)

Visuals: A desolate, windswept landscape stretching endlessly with barren trees silhouetted against a grey, overcast sky. A single, lone figure stands in the foreground, slightly off-center, giving a sense of being lost in the vastness. Shadows elongate across the ground, casting an air of melancholy.

Typography: A somber serif font, such as Garamond, for the title "What Loss Left Behind", with a subtle fade effect. The author's name, Gillian Pinarski, in a smaller, sans-serif font like Helvetica, positioned near the bottom.

Layout: Title at the upper third of the cover, slightly arched to follow the natural curve of the landscape. The lone figure stands slightly above the center line, anchoring the visual narrative. The author's name is placed at the bottom right corner, unobtrusive yet clear.

Explanation: The visual composition conveys a palpable sense of sadness and grief, with the desolate landscape and lone figure symbolizing isolation and loss. Choosing a serif font like Garamond adds gravitas and complements the emotional depth of the cover, while the faded effect amplifies the theme of loss. The layout, with its arched title and central lone figure, creates a narrative focus, guiding the viewer's gaze naturally across the cover. The matte paper with soft-touch finish enhances the tactile experience, encouraging handling and engagement, the minimal glare preserving the somber color palette's impact. The use of Helvetica for the author's name is a contrast that highlights it without detracting from the main visual elements.