The Art of Covers

At some point this month I felt the tug to create something a little different, something born not of the swing and sway of words but made of color and texture, light and shadow. Every so often the bug bites and I immerse myself fully into drawing and painting. This month however I decided to work with a different medium, digital art. I use some form of digital art on almost a daily basis for my photography work. I strive to create not just ordinary images but unique artwork that people will be proud to display in their homes. Usually when the urge to delve even deeper into the creative waters strikes, I schedule a fairy session. Fairy sessions are quite honestly the highlight of my year. They are a chance to throw away the regular social conventions of photography and create something whimsical and different, something that really speaks to me. But April has been full of rain in more ways than one and finding the time and money to spend on a fairy session just hasn't worked out. So I decided to try my hand on making some story related artwork. The last time I created a cover was 2009, which was coincidentally the same year I started doing photography. I have had a lot of practice in the years since then and have honed my digital manipulation skills to an edge it previously lacked. So I hope you enjoy some of the images I've created. These are all from 'Cloud's Keeper', my first novel. If you've read it, you'll recognize the scenes.  I've included little snippets from each part of the story to go along with them.

 

"She peered into the cloying dark, a panic rising in her throat as she tried to distinguish anything in the nothing. As she stared a picture slowly formed backlit by an eerie red glow akin to sunset. It was the figure of a man she knew, yet couldn't recognize. He stood before her a handsbreadth away hidden by shadows. ...The word crumbled, burst into flames, and crumbled again. She felt caged, desperate in the ashes for help, but no help would come... She could feel herself being sucked into this black hole of a man. She tried to scream out but the words were strangled into silence before ever breaking across her lips."

"Cloud had raced through the limbs climbing higher and higher to escape Shaun. in her haste she failed to notice where she was climbing to. She broke out of the leaves and onto the platform suddenly, barely skidding to a stop at the beveled edge. Stretched before her was a scene so breathtaking she forgot the chase and simply stared. The platform overlooked the entire forest. In the far distance a wisp of smoke from the town they'd left behind rose into the air. And even further away blending into the haze of the horizon were the tallest of the castle spires. The sun looked as if it was sitting on the treetops which were a veritable mattress of ever moving green. The cloudless sky was tinted blue, purple, and pink with the sun's setting."

"Moonlight. Cool, dark and silver. Fluid like mercury; you can't hold it; quicksilver in divine form. Splashing over the leaves, smoothing rough edges, silhouetting him. He stood in a puddle of light, dark wings outstretched against the sky. Wings that sprouted from pale flawless shoulderblades. He was faceless, yet familiar with eyes like sapphires, sparkling stars, nothing else in the darkness."

 I liked each one of the above images from the story alot, but I didn't really like any of them enough to make them the new cover for 'Cloud's Keeper'. So I took a step back and regrouped. I decided instead of choosing an actual scene from the book that maybe it would be better just to choose certain elements. This final image is what I came up with and will be the new cover for 'Cloud's Keeper' when it is rereleased sometime later this year.

The new cover for 'Cloud's Keeper'

What do you think? Do you like it more than the original cover? I'd love to have some feedback over the new cover and also the other artwork in this entry.

 

And finally, I've decided to offer my digital manipulation skills out to others who need/want cover art or story art. So if you like the above and you need some work done. Toss me a line. cinderellatales@gmail.com   I'd love to get started in the world of cover design and my rates will be super affordable.