Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas, inspired by the work of Jim Flora. The project reimagines Clement Clarke Moore's classic poem through bold geometric forms, vibrant color, and playful mid-century-inspired illustration. The final book includes 13 original illustrations, custom typography, and a complete visual system spanning 32 pages.

Goals / Visual Direction

  • Reimagine a familiar holiday classic through a bold mid-century-inspired illustration style

  • Create a cohesive visual world that balances nostalgia, whimsy, and contemporary graphic design

  • Design a keepsake-quality hardcover book that transforms a well-known poem into a new visual experience

Process

  • Built a visual mood board inspired by Jim Flora's mid-century illustration style, emphasizing geometric forms, exaggerated proportions, and playful movement

  • Established a defined color palette and recurring visual motifs to create consistency across the book

  • Developed character explorations and pose studies to define the appearance and personality of Santa and supporting characters

  • Illustrated 13 full-page compositions in Procreate using a sketch, linework, and color workflow

  • Designed a custom typeface specifically for the project and applied it throughout the book

  • Created page layouts, typography, and production-ready files for a 32-page hardcover publication

Process for Page 6
Left to Right: rough pencil sketch, inks, addition of flat color

Results

  • Created a 32-page hardcover edition featuring 13 original illustrations and a custom typeface

  • Built a cohesive visual world spanning character design, illustration, typography, and book design

  • Successfully funded the project on Kickstarter in less than 24 hours

  • Reimagined a public-domain holiday classic through a distinctive mid-century-inspired visual language

Pose study for Page 7
“Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound”