微笑む人(Hohoemu Hito)

This is the cover design for Hohoemu Hito by Tokuro Nukui. The design shows a close up shot of a lower half of a person's face, while the other half are slowly transforming into a half tone pattern that  upper half of the face fade into the background. When it's viewed from distance, the image vaguely appears. Although the overall color scheme is pale, the reduced brightness gives an ominous impression. Even though the person is smiling, the faintly tinted lips and the subtle expression add to the unsettling atmosphere. A similar halftone design is used on the title page and the other small parts of the book, but the difference of ink and paper color gives different mood.