Sofia was commissioned to create book design and 15 mushroom illustrations for Villisienikeittokirja (The Wild Mushroom Cookbook) by Sami Tallberg. Sami Tallberg is a Finnish chef and food writer known especially for his foraging and wild food-focused books, catering and courses.

The brief was to design a book that would be “psychedelic, magical and elegant”. The energetic book design including vibrant illustrations and a bright colour scheme was created to reflect the sparkling character of the author Sami Tallberg.

The aim was to choose bold colors that would look delicious and work well together with the colors found in mushroom and recipe photos such as pale pink and forest green. The book is not limited to a set palette but each chapter has it’s own color combination. This way the colors also structure the book and guide the reader and the abundance of vibrant colors ties everything together.

Client: Sami Tallberg
Art Direction: Sofia Pusa
Design: Sofia Pusa
Illustration: Sofia Pusa
Food Photography: Olga Poppius
Styling: Minna Lilja
Mushroom Photography: Lasse Kosonen
Still Life Photography: Atte Tanner
Illustration Agency: Napa Agency

In addition to the cooking recipes the book also offers a list of key features for identification of every mushroom. An average mushroom picker in Finland is cautious and does not like to take any risks. This is why there’s also a photo of every mushroom for identifying its features.

Since it’s possible to identify every mushroom from a photograph, the illustrations could be unrealistic, bold and psychedelic as the author wished for. The illustrations are also used to structure the layout and every chapter begins with an illustration spread.

In the book the author talked a lot about the beefy texture of mushrooms so I decided to combine 3D techniques with vector graphics to create a more three dimensional and meaty feel for the mushrooms.

In contrast to the psychedelia of the illustrations the photographs focus on making the food look delicious. The dark photographs shot by Olga Poppius add dignity to the layout and bring attention to the recipes. Also the colors of the layout are used in a way that highlights the food in the photographs.

A narrowed type palette was used to create a cohesive experience. Ogg typeface with its calligraphic influences brings elegance to the layout whereas Apercu adds a friendly and warm tone to the cookbook. Typography was also used to mimic the shapes of the mushrooms.

Sofia was commissioned to create book design and 15 mushroom illustrations for Villisienikeittokirja (The Wild Mushroom Cookbook) by Sami Tallberg. Sami Tallberg is a Finnish chef and food writer known especially for his foraging and wild food-focused books, catering and courses.

The brief was to design a book that would be “psychedelic, magical and elegant”. The energetic book design including vibrant illustrations and a bright colour scheme was created to reflect the sparkling character of the author Sami Tallberg.

The aim was to choose bold colors that would look delicious and work well together with the colors found in mushroom and recipe photos such as pale pink and forest green. The book is not limited to a set palette but each chapter has it’s own color combination. This way the colors also structure the book and guide the reader and the abundance of vibrant colors ties everything together.
Client: Sami Tallberg
Art Direction: Sofia Pusa
Design: Sofia Pusa
Illustration: Sofia Pusa
Food Photography: Olga Poppius
Styling: Minna Lilja
Mushroom Photography: Lasse Kosonen
Still Life Photography: Atte Tanner
Illustration Agency: Napa Agency
In addition to the cooking recipes the book also offers a list of key features for identification of every mushroom. An average mushroom picker in Finland is cautious and does not like to take any risks. This is why there’s also a photo of every mushroom for identifying its features.
Since it’s possible to identify every mushroom from a photograph, the illustrations could be unrealistic, bold and psychedelic as the author wished for. The illustrations are also used to structure the layout and every chapter begins with an illustration spread.
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In the book the author talks a lot about the beefy texture of mushrooms so 3D techniques were combined with vector graphics to create a more three dimensional and meaty feel for the mushrooms.
In contrast to the psychedelia of the illustrations the photographs focus on making the food look delicious. The dark photographs shot by Olga Poppius add dignity to the layout and bring attention to the recipes. Also the colors of the layout are used in a way that highlights the food in the photographs.
A narrowed type palette was used to create a cohesive experience. Ogg typeface with its calligraphic influences brings elegance to the layout whereas Apercu adds a friendly and warm tone to the cookbook. I also used typography to mimic the shapes of the mushrooms.
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