*Actual* crayons were used in the creation of this cover for Harpercollins USA, which was almost a collage (physical and digital) of many parts inked and pencilled in to create the deep sea and the island, before becoming a one-take ink-wash illustration.
The images show the finished book and some of the cover ideas generated along the way to the final - I was very much in favour of the geometric look, with straight lines and clean cuts to the collage - the lighthouse along the way was first of brutalist design, then concrete - but the softer look was preferred for the age group, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. That lettering was flung straight onto the cover completely untouched! Which is always a joy.
A much softer island and its greenery won out in the end, with what's become my current trademark (which means I'll have to retire it soon!) - a 'statement moon' - and my age-old bleach-technique stars pecking a threatening sky. The little girl and boat were drawn in ink and pencil, and cast into shadow for the final, wraparound cover.
And look! I drew a turtle without embarrassing myself!
Thanks to Joel Tippie for superb art direction on this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment