Cover concept art -- opinions please

[tinkerdan]

I like this one.

Made an attempt to combine the ship and the diver. It has problems, especially as a thumbnail, but as a rough concept, does it show any promise?

Definitely has that Peter Benchley cover look.

 

[HareBrain]

Thanks, guys

(You were designing it just for me, right? )

Well, I wouldn't have thought of it without your comment.

Definitely has that Peter Benchley cover look.

*starts daydreaming about Peter Benchley sales*

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

One problem with adding the ship is that it takes up valuable space. Where would your name go on that cover? You could fit it into the space with the title, but then one or both would have to be smaller than would, perhaps, be desirable.

Also, I am not sure about how the artist would handle the perspective so that it doesn't look like a toy boat.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I think a line of dark shading at the bottom would give room for the name. It's an image that could be beautifully simplified - the boat, the figure, the dark depths - and could be really striking as a cover.

 

[alchemist]

Just to be mildly awkward, I think the latest cover is too busy, with three different elements competing for attention; ship, diver and artefact.

I also worry about the perspective. I think you'd have to shelve any idea of it being one coherent image, but almost have it as a split-screen; ship on top, then some fuzziness to suggest it's a different scene, then diver and artefact below.

 

[HareBrain]

I also worry about the perspective. I think you'd have to shelve any idea of it being one coherent image, but almost have it as a split-screen; ship on top, then some fuzziness to suggest it's a different scene, then diver and artefact below.

I think I agree with this. In fact I think it might need to be something stronger than fuzziness. The attached is my latest effort.

Does this work? And if the ship is separated off into its own image, does it justify its inclusion?

 

[The Judge]

I'm in awe of your ship-drawing ability (well, all your drawing ability, really), but for me the ship isn't helping the cover, either alone or in conjunction with the diving scene. There's nothing fantasy-like about it, and nothing that immediately suggests your world contains the equivalent of WWI-level technology which might otherwise help to give background to the novel.

I'm still thinking you need something less busy as a cover, and I've just had another idea. A close-up of Orc's face complete with tattoos -- or Orc and Cass in profile looking at each other, perhaps -- possibly complete with masked Otter staring at the viewer, but with Seraphis and Chthonis twining around him/them. And if the snakes, or a border around them, could create a mandorla/pointed oval shape all the better.

 

[Mouse]

I'm with TJ, I don't like the boat either. I'd think it was a travel story or something. The diver/snakes/mask works for me.

Also, if you're not doing the cover yourself, I think you're putting way too much work into it. Every artist I've worked with has worked from a brief description. The lady who did my first cover did something completely different to what I actually asked for and it worked a hell of a lot better than anything I'd suggested (she actually had a design background), and the second guy I worked with did three different mock-ups based on my descriptions and let me choose the one I liked best.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I think Mouse has a good point there, actually. Decide on a few basics, let the artist do the designing.

And sorry, TJ, but that idea sounds so complex I got a headache thinking about it, let alone seeing it.

 

[HareBrain]

Yes, thanks all, after all this I think I'm going to get her to do something based on the diver one. And I now want it to look like it was done by Kay Nielsen.

Mouse, I'm glad I put the work in -- it's given me a good idea of what might work and what might not, and it was good to do some drawing again.