Feel free to mock my poor effort but this is the sort of thing I was going for. I used Paint.Net, took a photograph of Toronto skyline (to which I own the copyright), moved around some buildings, blurred the skyine, inverted the colours and added some clouds. I like the smoke effect: It wasn’t intentional but if you know the context of the story it fits perfectly. I’m not sure about the ocean yet and I want to play around with that aspect of it a little more. I may not use this cover at all, I still may end up cold-calling a few potential artists on Deviant Art and show them that as an idea. It is quite a striking image but would you be curious to read a book with such a cover? What draws you in? What don’t you like? Suggestions please! EDIT: I have now created a gallery where I will add other potential covers rather than having an endless stream of pics.
I like it, I like how solid the ocean looks but how ethereal the city skyline looks..sorry I can’t comment on your blog for some reason..feel free to copy and paste…
Ethereal? Interesting… I realise that the smokiness could be taken many ways and maybe people will be intrigued to find out why.
I’m quibbling over the ocean. I’m not sure whether I should keep it so still or whether I ought to make it a little more erratic when bearing in mind what is probably taking place. But it could be the stillness contrasting against the events taking place at the city. I’ll see what others think before deciding what to do with it.
Works for me, although I might have tried a slightly more storm tossed sea-scape for added drama…
I’d buy it :)
Wonderful! I think I’m going to quibble for some time over whether the sea ought to be choppy or still.
Still – it contrasts what is actually happening to the city
Choppy – Adds to the chaos
So I guess it is whether I want to enhance the tragedy or contrast it.
I will definitely do something with the lower half because at the moment it doesn’t look sufficiently on the sea… just as it was taken from at sea looking toward land.
Such is the right of every artist. Is this too much, is that too little?
Of course adding title and author will alter the dynamic as well… You might be right that the Sea should be calm… but my instinct is that the North Sea is never that millpondy :)
I’ve created a gallery and added a second and third image.
And now a fourth image which I think I prefer. Please everyone, tell me what you think!
Some baseless opinions…
Option 1: much subtler cleaner image, which leaves plenty of space for Text. Not sure about the plinths, they should be white at the base and darker higher up because of waves and shadows. The smoke on 4 is too much, too dense and too light, its starting to hide everything.
I thought that after posting it. I do want “something” to be going on in the water but I realise it has to be subtle because that is where I want to put my name. Title will go along the top. I need to have a plinth. I think I’ll go back to option one, play around with the sea a bit and try another plinth.
Thanks as always!