'The Cruel Sea' - book cover art

The novel 'The Cruel Sea' features a book cover that I hope captures the relentless struggle of the HMS Compass Rose and its crew during World War II. The artwork depicts the turbulent North Atlantic, where icy waves clash in a dramatic dance, reflecting the tension of a deadly cat-and-mouse game with lurking U-boats.

This is one of the darkest illustrations I’ve created. Both sides of my family were seafarers and have endured losses. My great-grandfather’s ‘grave’ on Whalsay has only a headstone—he was lost to the sea while rowing the short distance between the Shetland mainland and the island during a storm.

This piece conveys the isolation and danger faced by ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances. I hope that this desolate ocean scene serves as a reminder of the harsh realities of naval combat.

Print specification

Colour Vibrancy: Our 12-colour fine art printing technology delivers vivid, accurate colours with stunning depth, surpassing the capabilities of standard 4-colour inkjet printing technology.
Paper Finishing: Smooth matte finish for a clean, glare-free display.
Paper Weight: 200 gsm (80 lb), thickness: 0.26 mm (10.3 mils).
Available Sizes: A4 and A3: widely suitable sizes for framing.
Eco-Friendly Materials: Printed on environmentally conscious, FSC-certified paper.
No minimum orders are printed and shipped on demand to guarantee freshness and customisation for every order.

Unframed

Please note that all prints will arrive unframed. We’ve found that customers prefer to provide their customised framing.