20 Hottest Illustrated Magazine Cover Designs

Illustrated magazine cover designs have been on a decline. This is because publishers has replaced illustrated covers with photographic images. Unlike in the 1920s up to the 60s when magazines were focused in creative and original artwork to attract readership, today’s magazines are almost identical in appearance with the photos of celebrities gracing their covers. The early days of magazines therefore considered magazine cover designs as canvass, instead of a mere billboard of Photoshopped faces of celebrities.

It is therefore sad to think of the illustrated magazine cover as about to become a thing of the past. But let us face this, magazines in the news stand today look very identical to one another. So perhaps, one of the best way to stand out is to have an illustrated cover. In this post therefore, we try to search for creative and striking illustrated magazine cover. Most of these magazine cover designs are from Behance Network.

01-Michael Phelps for ESPN magazine

02-Yorokobu Issue 18 cover Using Type illustration
Artwork made for the cover of Yorokobu magazine issue 18. It is inspired by Native American culture. Just as the lettering that forms the center of the totem.

03-Typographic Cover of Computer Arts Magazine
Here is the cover art of issue #42 of Computer Arts Brazil Magazine. The main theme of this issue presents the importance of typography in the development of graphic projects.

04-Computer arts 141 cover
Cover image and some spreads for 141 Computer Arts magazine (UK)

05-Cap&Design Issue 8 Cover Art

06-Be Magazine, Australia
Illustrated Magazine Cover for Be Magazine

07-New Scientist Cover
Illustrated Magazine Cover for New Scientist magazine illustrating piece on how to enhance your brain power through exercise, musical training, current stimulation and meditation.

10-Red Bulletin magazine cover
UK-based Red Bulletin magazine made available at the GP Belgium 2008 event.

11-New York Magazine-The 00’s
Proposal design for the 00’s Issue of New York Magazine.The concept represents the 00’s as a decade of waste and bling, that in many aspects was just full of air.

12-El Patio Magazine Cover #1
An Illustration published in the cover of El Patio Magazine.

13-El Patio Magazine Cover #2
Another Illustration published in the cover of El Patio Magazine.

14-El Patio Magazine Cover #3
Yet another illustration published in the cover of El Patio Magazine.

15-Lettering for March cover of Computer Arts Projects magazine

16-“DAS MAGAZIN” cover
Illustrated cover design for the November edition of the German magazine “DAS MAGAZIN”.

17-Black Queen
Work made for Create A Cover Competition organized by Advanced Photoshop and iStockphoto.

18-TNHB Magazine
Illustrated magazine covers made for TNHB by TNHB

19-WebDesign HS7 Magazine Cover - MAO
Artwork for the french WebDesign Series 7 magazine cover, out in December 2010.Fully created in Photoshop and Illustrator for simple 3D objects. No 3D software involved.