Looking Ahead...
With Book Three nearing completion, it is also time to concentrate of the book's cover art...
I am excited and restless to meet my March 30 publishing goal for Book III, A Light in the Dark. It is perhaps an ambitious goal but I am going to try my best to get there as I trade chapters with my amazing editor.
Cover for Book Three emerges...
Have you ever read a book and flipped to the cover while you read specific scenes, wondering if this is what is depicted? I have, and I always loved books that show a particular scene so as you are reading the story you can compare what is on the cover with happenings between the pages.
A vision for the cover for Book Three has slowly emerged where Rowan and Torrin are shown together on the cover yet separately in order to symbolize aspects of the events in the book.
My original mock up, (shown below) featured them together in a study. The mock up cover evokes the feeling I want for the book, but it is not detailed enough and not necessarily true to the story.
So... I set about creating two separate paintings that will be combined for the final cover. I am excited to see how the two pieces work together in a unified vision.
I hope you enjoy this walk through the evolution of a cover.
Book Three Cover Reveal: Almost!
The painting of Rowan is now underway... It is based on the illustration I completed last November of her calling on the spirits of the Winged Ones. It will be paired with the version of Torrin below. I plan to have its background dark to match that of Torrin's and perhaps let the two paintings fade into one another.
Detail, Rowan Calling on the Spirits of the Winged Ones, work in progress for cover of Book Three.
Sketch for Rowan's Hand.
Illustrated Version of Rowan.
This drawing will likely grace the cover of Volume III of the Companion Sketchbook. I think it will be fun to feature the same image, done in two mediums, for both books
Cover Reveal: First Half
Rowan will fill the bottom space...
The Original Mock up cover for Book Three:
This version of the cover has the right vibe but it was missing something. I love the more active pose for Torrin above and he also needed to be separate from Rowan yet still connected to and looking for her within the context of her calling to the Winged Ones.
