Cover concept art -- opinions please

[The Judge]

To my mind, the bone road one doesn't work with the full length Orc facing the viewer like that. I was trying to remember the many man-in-a-cloak covers of recent fantasy -- I think they are mostly depicted as if the man is moving, so the cloak/clothes are swirling around him, making him look active and dangerous. Here for my taste Orc is too stiff, too static, and looks a bit childish. So I think if you want to go down this path (ha!) he must be walking, and he must seem to be more dominant than he is, since this version gives the impression of a loser, which may be more accurate for the story, but isn't enticing enough. Personally, though, I'd show him in close up, head and shoulders only, perhaps looking away from the camera and down at the bones and the dead sea beyond him, so only in profile, to show his tattoo mask, with Otter on his shoulder staring boldly at the viewer.

I quite like the diving one, but I'm not convinced it's grabby enough, unfortunately.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I second the Judge's post. Which saves time.

 

[HareBrain]

Thanks again guys.

Personally, though, I'd show him in close up, head and shoulders only, perhaps looking away from the camera and down at the bones and the dead sea beyond him, so only in profile, to show his tattoo mask, with Otter on his shoulder staring boldly at the viewer.

I do like the idea of Otter staring at the viewer with Orc looking away. An alternative to your suggestion might be to have Orc head-and-shoulders from the rear, looking towards the door at the end of the road, with Otter on his shoulders staring back at the viewer. But I guess not showing Orc's face would be a bit of a no-no.

I'm not sure how much of the bone-road would be visible in a head-and-shoulders version, though.

I quite like the diving one, but I'm not convinced it's grabby enough, unfortunately.

Bah. Why can't more people realise that freediving is the coolest thing ever?

I second the Judge's post.

Including the head-and-shoulders suggestion?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Yeah, I quite liked the idea of the close-up and the tats and what not.

 

[HareBrain]

Right, potatoes it is.

This idea of someone looking to the right whilst someone or something else stares at the viewer is bugging me because it feels familiar. Any ideas why? It feels like a vague memory of an existing book cover or a film poster/DVD cover.

 

[The Judge]

An alternative to your suggestion might be to have Orc head-and-shoulders from the rear, looking towards the door at the end of the road, with Otter on his shoulders staring back at the viewer. But I guess not showing Orc's face would be a bit of a no-no.

I wondered about that, but I do think the tattoos are important -- and if done right I think they will add to a feeling of menace. (There was a Star Trek: Voyager episode where the crew were re-imagined by people who were working from what were to them historical records, and the re-imagined Chakotay went from having a few lines on his forehead/temple to a full-on Maori-type thing, and by gum was he suddenly a lot more dangerous-looking!)

I'm not sure how much of the bone-road would be visible in a head-and-shoulders version, though.

I'd already worried about that, but if you can't position the camera above Orc somehow to get a suitable shot, could you have the bone-road going up a hill or somesuch?

This idea of someone looking to the right whilst someone or something else stares at the viewer is bugging me because it feels familiar.

Yep, it was familiar to me, too. No idea where it's come from, though!

NB Not quite, but

 

[HareBrain]

I assume the copyright has expired on that painting. Couldn't I just use that?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I really like the diving one with the snakes. The snakes make it fantasy enough for me, and it doesn't look like the same old tired sort of thing you see on so many covers.

Perhaps the best idea would be to run some of your sketches past your cover artist, kick around some ideas together, and see what inspires them. (Reminding them that it has to work as cover art -- strong image that looks good in thumbnail, relatively blank or shadowy spaces for the writing -- and not just a work of art to put on the wall.)

 

[HareBrain]

Thanks Teresa. You have great taste.

Good advice on brainstorming with the artist, but I have one more thing to try on here, I think. I've been reworking the bone-road one seen from slightly above (and following most of TJ's other suggestions), and from my incredibly rough sketch so far, I really like it. I'll try to work that up tomorrow.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

As a reader, I would really be drawn to the revised diving/snake cover. There's something that seems retro cool to me about this one...it seems timeless to me. With the right color scheme this could be a really classic cover. I would grab this book, and examine it front and back in a second. Just another opinion, CC

 

[HareBrain]

With the right color scheme this could be a really classic cover.

Thanks, CC. Did you have a different colour scheme in mind?

I couldn't resist colouring up my rough sketch for the revised bones one. Here it is. (Orc needs darkening to stand out from the road, especially for the thumbnail.)

 

[Ursa major]

Here's another vote for the "diver and snakes" cover.

 

[tinkerdan]

If you have them make it something simple like this:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-fITvAVxqx3bzdBeW1PZDZBaGs/edit?usp=sharing

I think it will work.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

That's pretty awesome, but I don't know how well it would look in print instead of on a computer screen. I know the title wouldn't show up.

 

[tinkerdan]

It doesn't need to be that color:

That's pretty awesome, but I don't know how well it would look in print instead of on a computer screen. I know the title wouldn't show up.

A bit of shadowing would work though if it was.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Hey HB. A few quick thoughts...so, I don't know the story well, except the bits I've gleaned here, and that's of course what a cover or thumbnail can do for you‐‐give you a snapshot of a moment from the story. And that's why I love the snakes/diver shot...it's visceral, you sense an ominous silence in the scene and tension and suspense...I mean, you almost hold your breath with the diver. For my tastes, this cover would really grab me.

And I love the way you've colored this, sorry I didn't mean change the palette, I meant don't let anyone change the palette! Sea greens...maybe a bit of turquoise, some greens muted, some more vibrant. Maybe a bit of blue here and there, but my preference would be for no explosion of colors. Just keep the feeling that you are there with the diver, and I think the colors you've chosen does that. Not sure if I helped, or muddied the waters, but best of luck! Is there a thread here which might tell more about the storyline, I'm quite curious, CC

 

[HareBrain]

If you have them make it something simple like this:

Thanks, I do quite like the clean simplicity of that, but I really want hand-drawn art (not by me, I hasten to add). It's what tends to attract me to a book if it's done well. Of course, not everyone's the same, but I think I'd have to be mad to go with a cover that didn't at least attract me.

Is there a thread here which might tell more about the storyline, I'm quite curious, CC

Hi CC, there's an old synopsis here.

 

[The Judge]

I think the new bone-road one is a great improvement on the original. Well done.

Now do a third scene, and as Teresa suggests discuss them with your artist and see which he/she is happiest with.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Hi CC, there's an old synopsis here.

Sounds really cool, HB! I'll be there if it will available for e-readers! CC

 

[Darkchild130]

The diver and snakes one is far more striking than the road and bones cover.