I'm not entirely sure if it will be usable in publishing, since the background is from a wonderful stock photo artist on dA. While I had been envisioning a much more, er, winding road, this picture really has a good feel to it, and I wanted something symmetrical with the hand design in front. I'll still try to find somewhere to take my own picture, but I doubt I'll be able to do as well.
The hands are mine, although I did start by tracing a how-to guide on them. Charlotte's nails are my own addition, which explains why they need more adjusting. I tried to add a little texture, though I'm not sure how well it really turned out. The main difficulty was the outlines. I did my shabby tracing, then the colouring, then the same-color outlines, all in an attempt to make it less cartoony. It's still far from realistic, but I like the effect. Of course, I'll have to redo it if I decide Arthur is white after all (he's currently Chinese with a little bit of Korean and Caucasian). We'll see.
I might make the title bigger, although I like the effect (Hooray for SumoPaint layers!). It goes well with this background, at least. I was originally going to do black letters with a white glow, but then I stumbled upon this effect. The lettering worked well enough for me to stop font-surfing at the "B"s, but if anyone has an idea that might look better for a post-apocalyptic romance, let me know.
I'm planning to have my name centred, same font and effect but smaller than the title, about where the fog comes in on the road. I really don't mind the cover without it, but that probably wouldn't help get my name out there.
Then again, eBook covers really aren't seen as much as "real" book covers. I have to look at a solid book cover every time I go for the book, but 'tis not so in digital publishing (at least, not for the Nook). I just need to snag some attention and hope the writing is worth looking back at the description for my name.
So, better than my last cover? Worse? About the same considering the different styles? Any other photos of the same style you know I could use?
This is fantastic, Journey! I love everything about it - the font, the picture, the hands. So you drew the hands yourself on some sort of computer program? They're amazing; the position and the shading is terrific! I think the font is fine; you don't need to worry about getting a different one; and I LOVE the effect you used for it! The whole composition is wonderful because you have this dreary, bleak-looking road in front of them, disappearing into fog, symbolizing the hardships and uncertainty of their journey - and then there are the hands, the only thing that's really in color, in front of it, clasped together in a gesture of camaraderie and determination. I just love it!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I traced the hands before anything else, so the canvas size, picture position, etc. were all arranged to fit them. Part of the shading is my doing, and part of it is just another layer effect. I was a bit unsure about the hands being so much more colorful than the rest, but I'm glad to hear you like it!
DeleteI actually started tracing the hands a while ago and gave up on it. Then I requested a cover from someone on the NaNoWriMo site offering them for free, and I really liked the design, but Charlotte apparently became a black-haired, black-lipped, Gothic-dress-wearing beauty queen with a butterfly tattoo. It's what inspired me to find a background picture like this. The hands got finished after that, of course.
"Charlotte apparently became a black-haired, black-lipped, Gothic-dress-wearing beauty queen with a butterfly tattoo."
DeleteXD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
The fog definitely looks good for the scene and tone you're probably going for, in the way that it mutes the colors. If you're going for a foggy scene for the cover, perhaps dampen down the characters colors to match the palette of the photo. Also, I'm not sure how you can get symmetry and a winding road at the same time, but looking at the cover from the viewpoint of a potential new reader who doesn't know the story... It really does need a winding road, or the title seems very odd. Perhaps you can make it seem ironic? I dunno.
ReplyDeleteThe font is readable, but the trees are clearly visible beneath the words, in a slightly distracting way... You may consider doing something so that there are more solid colors underneath the letters? A blur on the parts of the photo that the letters will cover, or letters over an extra foggy patch? It's on it's way, and I think the direction you're going for is a good one.
Mim
Yeah, I agree that the hands should be muted a bit more.
DeleteWell, if a short and straight road isn't ironic enough, I don't know what is. :P I've been considering trying to use some sort of curve-warp-tool-something on this picture to change the road shape, but I doubt it will work. Hopefully I can find/take another promising picture.
I like the blurring idea. I'll see how it works after I resize the title.
Thanks!
Hey, would you consider
Deletehttp://f3rd4.deviantart.com/art/Dark-road-3-140056130
winding enough, or still a little confusing?
Well, it is winding enough now, but could use some of that fog XD Have you thought of maybe taking a photo on your own?
DeleteMim
Yeah... I can't think of any good places, though, and I probably won't get there while it's foggy, either. And even then I'm not exactly a photographer by trade.
DeleteI might be able to draw fog on the winding picture with my tablet, but that's not certain. It won't hurt to keep an eye out for good shots in any case.
Will do!
DeleteMim