CREATION
About this Project
This editorial illustration was created for a conceptual New York Times cover as part of a college assignment focused on visual storytelling and publication design. Each student was assigned a real article to interpret through illustration and layout design. I was assigned an article centered on archaeological discoveries in Egypt, specifically the unearthing of a “lost golden city.”
I approached the piece by contrasting the quiet surface of the desert with the monumental discovery hidden beneath it. Above ground, the scene appears sparse and understated, while below the surface the illustration reveals layered underground structures inspired by ancient Egyptian architecture and excavation sites. The composition uses depth, texture, and muted desert-inspired tones to create a sense of mystery and scale while emphasizing the idea that history often exists just beneath what we can see.
In addition to the cover illustration, the project also included developing realistic publication mockups to explore how the artwork could exist within editorial and print environments. This project allowed me to combine illustration, typography, and editorial design into a single narrative-driven visual system.
