Alternate Illustrations for

Instruction Manual and Jewel Case Inserts

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In the last semester of earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts, I took perhaps the most enjoyable class of my entire college career, Graphic Illustration. As part of the class, we were able to design our own final project and I chose this: creating a whole new series of illustrations for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The instruction booklet illustrations, packaging, CD label, everything, and I loved every minute of making it. In the in-class critique, a fellow fan of the game asserted that my illustrations weren't dark or gothic enough, not in keeping with the mood of the game. I'll admit that it's a fair criticism, however, my illustrations are perfectly well in keeping with what Symphony of the Night means to me. And here they are for you to draw your own judgements.

I have tried to avoid copying material from the original. However, in the case of the front cover and jewel case inserts, the image isn't really complete without the logos, screenshots, etc. that accompany the illustration, so I included them, with apologies, in sample images of how the illustrations would look in context.

So, without further adieu...

The Front Cover

In the front cover illustration, I was trying to create an image that would sum up the essence of the game's story. Notice Maria searching for Richter as Dracula's cape swirls ominously around him. Alucard looks outward, engaging the viewer/player. Below is a sample of the illustration in context, showing the placement of the Symphony of the Night logo. Like all the color illustrations, this was done on bristol board, roughed in with pencil, then executed in india ink over pastel and colored pencil.

The Back of the Jewel Case

The back of the jewel case is always the real sales pitch area, so I wanted an active illustration, one that would show the viewer what a formidable character they would be playing as if they bought this game. Below is a sample to show you what this illustration would look like in context. Most of this image is copied from the back of the original jewel case, as I said, with apologies. My illustration alone just doesn't give a good enough sense of what it would look like. Think of it as free advertising for the game.

Inside the Jewel Case

I created these illustrations, keenly aware that the back cover of the instruction manual and the CD label are "facing pages," which become a sequence of three when the CD is taken out and the inner jewel case insert is revealed. As such, I'm posting them here in such a way as to preserve that effect. Click on the CD label illustration to see the inner jewel case illustration.
I imagine Konami would never have let me get away with that inner jewel case illustration, because it kind of gives away the ending of the game (although I suppose it comes a bit after even what the best ending shows), but I love the effect of it myself.

Safety Warnings and Contents Pages

This illustration spans the opening two-page spread of the instruction manual. I just couldn't resist this image for the "safety warnings" page. Like all the black-and-white illustrations, this was also on bristol board, roughed in with pencil and executed in india ink.

Spot Illustrations of Richter and Alucard

These are the two spot illustrations for Richter and Alucard's controller configurations on pages 5 and 6. I thought that Richter's came out particularly well (And yes, I know he doesn't have the headband in SOTN, but I decided it just wouldn't be Richter without it).

Prologue

This illustration is for the two-page spread of the Prologue on pages 7 and 8. It ends at the extreme right of the spread, with the image of Alucard in the coffin sitting in the crease between pages. Said image is upside-down to reinforce the message that he's laying in the coffin (his "eternal slumber"), not standing.

Characters, Page One

This is for the first two-page spread of the "Characters" section of the manual, pages 9 and 10, which introduce us to Alucard, Richter, and Maria. I tried to use the illustrations to characterize them. Alucard, as the main character, gets two pictures, and while he looks back at Richter and Maria, the changes in scale indicate that he does not share the same space with them, expressing his sense of isolation. The picture of Richter and Maria may be trashing the mood, but I thought it was important to express how close they were, and thus why Maria would go to such great lengths to find him. I also wanted to characterize Richter in such a way that when he shows up shouting "Open Hell's Gate!", the player knows something is amiss. Also, when I was drawing Richter's outstretched hand, it struck me as odd that it was white. This was my clue that I had been drawing Alucard and his ubiquitous black gloves too much. ^_~

Characters, Page Two

You'll be relieved to know that this is the last two-page illustration posted here. Pages 11 and 12 complete the Characters section, describing Death, the Librarian, Dracula, and Alucard's mother, Lisa. Like the first character page, this was originally done with separate illustrations, and I decided to go another way. In the case of Death and the Librarian, it was simply more interesting to show them interacting, even though they have no particular relationship. Death was a lot of fun to draw. With Dracula and Lisa, I once again went for characterization at the expense of the gothic mood. Look closely; Alucard is also in this picture (it was "taken" a very long time ago). In this of all Castlevania games, Dracula is more than just a personification of evil. For better or worse, Alucard has to deal with him on a personal level. For Dracula, this illustration is to say "Just when you thought you were dealing with a two-dimensional character..." And of course for Lisa, it expresses her importance for both her husband and her son.

Rules This is for the right-hand side of page 14, Rules. The page actually has less to do with "rules" and more to do with why the hero of this game has such gothic brooding angst. As a result, I went with this "psychological reality" picture. The illustration is about Alucard's inability to free himself from his father's legacy of evil.

Weapons This spot-illustration is for the right-hand side of page 18, to accompany the "Weapons" section. It's fairly self-explanatory. A friend of mine at the time sold swords at sci-fi/fantasy conventions, including the claymore pictured here, so I was able to draw it from first-hand observation.

Spells This illustration depicts Alucard's "Hellfire" spell, specifically the Lava Ball version of it. It is intended to go in the lower right of page 21, to illustrate the "Spells" section. Several people who hadn't played Symphony of the Night said they couldn't tell what was going on in this picture. I tried to assure them that it should be clear to anyone who had actually seen the spell go off, but I could be wrong...

And finally...

At the risk of striking one last blow to the gothic mood, I made this humorous "signing off" illustration for the lower right corner of page 25, the notes page. Ideally, it would be accompanied by a "handwritten" note saying "Remember to Save often!"

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