First Book Cover EVER (#5)

I'm thrilled to share my first book cover illustration! Way back in October, I submitted a design under a prompt for a fantasy anthology, Spellcasters and Spirits. It took a little bit, but I sent it and hoped for the best. I was in complete shock at the acceptance email, and was very eager to make a couple adjustments before sending the final draft for the editor to publish!

(QwQ)

I started out with a couple sketches of a character driven composition. I wanted to incorporate a sense of movement of a spellcaster combatting something with a spell. Because it was spooky season, I designed the person as a witch wrangling or repelling ghosts.

I think the most difficult part of making this illustration was probably the crystal. I didn't want it to seem too graphic, or too realistic that it wouldn't fit with the painterly style I was trying to convey. And I ended up editing it down a ton, so that it went from a cluster of quartz to a multi-faceted shard, like from Inuyasha (pushes anime glasses). I added a little witch hazel plant to the hat for a pop from the dark robes, and had fun exploring different techniques of rendering the ghosts.

Final Design before adding the Title!

I'm very happy with how it turned out, and hope that readers like Meridy's story written by the talented Adie Hart. You can read the anthology for free here or purchase it for print here.

WGTDB - Bob Color Design Version 2

It has been many moons--but I am happy to relay progress on Bob the Sourdough's progress! As per the notes, I've fixed various tangents in the linework, and also thickened the outlines so that the expressions stand out more. I also exaggerated some of the poses more, and added color to emphasize the monstrous form in comparison to his normal form. In addition, I've added a logo of the project, and a title plate.

Tis Bob!

In response to feedback, I'll work on adding a neutral pose for Bob, as well as adjusting the size comp to be on a separate spread. Also, I'll formulate a decorative background or border to tie in the title of this project with the character better! Next up, I'll be working on rough poses for the main character (rubs hands together)!

Making my First Bag!

Using leftover vinyl fabric from a renn faire costume, I started working on assembling my first bag. It'll be a sling bag that can be converted to a standard one-shoulder purse with multiple rings and a removable strap. It looks chaotic in the photo, but I'm getting close to assembling the main pieces!

It's coming aloooong...

In the meantime, I'll be finishing the Elements of Cadence series by Rebecca Ross (It's fantastic and full of magical lore!)

Happy Reading! (Turns page)