Christmas Book Cover Artwork for It Had To Be Yule by Farrah Jane
2025
Project Details
Client: Farrah Jane
Project: Cover artwork for It Had To Be Yule
Role: Book Cover illustration
Setting: A Christmas Night Market in a Town Square, Colorado
Format: Front cover and ebook artwork, developed within the Dearing Creek series style
Publication: November 2025
Publisher: Ashwing Press
Client Brief
Farrah and I had already established a visual style for the Dearing Creek covers so the brief for It Had To Be Yule was about expanding that world while keeping the series visually connected. The story introduced a Christmas night market, a more built-up town setting and a festive winter atmosphere, while still needing to feel romantic, warm and true to the series.
Because the story is set in Colorado, the setting also needed a stronger mountain presence and more of a town-square feel. Alongside the market lights and Christmas tree, the artwork evolved to include architecture and background details that helped place the story more clearly in its setting.
The Artwork
This cover was a joy to create, though it took time to land on the right composition. I wanted the eye to move from the glow of the market lights, to the couple's playful moment, then upwards through the Christmas tree into the open sky. That gave the design a natural flow, while leaving clean space for the title and author name.
I also wanted the artwork to feel festive without becoming clichéd. Rather than relying too heavily on obvious Christmas colour, I used twinkling lights, winter atmosphere and a luminous palette to create warmth and celebration. The final raspberry-red coat gave the figure enough contrast to stand out while still sitting comfortably within the scene.
When I was a little girl, one of my favourite picture books featured a glowing Christmas night market, snow, twinkling lights and a little girl in a red coat. This cover is stylistically very different of course, but creating my own winter market scene brought back a lovely little memory of that book. It felt quite special to find myself illustrating a Christmas cover with some of that same sense of warmth and magic.
Credits
Novel by Farrah Jane
Cover illustration by Isa June
Explore It Had To Be Yule on Farrah Jane's website
Can You Create Christmas or Seasonal Book Cover Artwork?
Yes. I create bespoke book cover artwork for seasonal stories, including Christmas and winter settings. I can use light, colour, architecture and landscape to create a festive atmosphere without relying on obvious holiday clichés, while still keeping the artwork aligned with the tone of the story.
Explore My Book Cover Illustration Work
To discuss a commission, please email ahoy@unratio.com
