Book cover designs... Which one?

[kirsten-mcg]

I'm working on some book cover designs because I need some covers in my portfolio. Which one do you like best? 1,2,3, or 4? I'm also open to any critiques!

[ajillustrates]

Probably biased because I’ve always been a huge Reepicheep fan, but my favorite is #4. What would you think about adding Eustice-dragon flying in the sky as well? I’m excited to see where you take this- I’ve always wanted to illustrate a Narnia series.

[NessIllustration]

@kirsten-mcg 1 and 4 are both very strong, but I think I have a slight preference for #1!

[Chantal Goetheer]

@kirsten-mcg I also agree that 1 &. 4 are the best. I like 4 better because of the different angle but I don't know the story.

[Mia Clarke]

@kirsten-mcg Wow, they all look great! Number 4 is my absolute favorite, though, I love the angle and how well the main shape reads against the background. Very excited to see how this turn out!

[ArtistErin]

I love #4 as well because of the strong silhouette, though I don't know the story, IMHO

[kirsten-mcg]

@ajillustrates these covers have been on my illustration "to do" list for a long time now. I'm planning on doing covers for at least 3 of the books. The chronicles of narnia were what started my love of all things fantasy. Thanks for the dragon idea!

[Kim Rosenlof]

@kirsten-mcg I haven't read this book (I have only read the first two in the Narnia series), so I am not sure of the story. I like 1, 3, and 4 for different reasons. I like number one because of the mouth (teeth at top, at least I think those are teeth) and the close-up of the middle character. The mouth makes me want to know what is going on. I would move the middle character closer so that you aren't cutting off his feet; maybe cut him at the waist instead. I like the clouds in number 3 and how the boat peeks out and the text would fit well between everything. Number 4 is the only non-central composition so that is nice. It might be nice to see some part of a sail too. Is the mouse a central character and more important than the humans, or just as important in the story?

[MiaNova]

@kirsten-mcg love the environment of 3 but 4 is also really good

[Asyas_illos]

2 and 3 are my favorites, I like the second over the first as it feels less crowded. 3 has a nice composition too.

[kirsten-mcg]

@Kim-Rosenlof Thanks for your input! The mouse is a central character, but not the main character, so it might be a little odd to have him the only one pictured large on the front cover. He's most people's favorite character though!

[Blitz55]

I like #3
I kind of like it when the characters are not front and center and it's more about the mood and location.

[kirsten-mcg]

@ajillustrates @Chantal-Goetheer @NessIllustration @Mia-Clarke @ArtistErin @Kim-Rosenlof @MiaNova @Asyas_illos @Blitz55 This is the one I’ve decided to go with. I was still undecided after getting everyone’s opinions, so I asked my 12 and 14 year old sons which book they would like to read the most and they both picked this one! I figured that was a pretty good indicator that I was onto something here. I’ve flipped the image around and made a few more changes. Looking at it now I realize the perspective on the mast is completely wrong, so I’ll definitely be fixing that. Any other critiques or things I’m missing?

[ArtistErin]

@kirsten-mcg This is a cool redesign so far! I love the dragon and the way the mouse is "eyeing" his next adventure. Yes the perspective on the mast you'll figure out. The rest is spot on from what i can see.

[Chantal Goetheer]

@kirsten-mcg I agree what @ArtistErin says. It looks great and can't wait to see the next step of this cover.

[Mia Clarke]

@kirsten-mcg Looks good, go for it!

[Tom Harshberger]

I like #1 as it hits a ton of different things in one piece. I just recently read through Will Terry's '100+ things to put in a portfolio' off the show notes on the 'Building a Strong Portfolio' episode. With all that's going on in #1, it's a great way to show off a lot of different looks!

[ajillustrates]

@kirsten-mcg I really like where this is going! My only note at this time is that between the feather in his cap, the dragon head and its tongue, and the mast crossbar, there are quite a few leading lines moving the eye off the cover. You could balance that out by turning the feather around to point inward, which would give you the added bonus of having it overlap or interact with the title desgn.

[kirsten-mcg]

@ajillustrates Good point! Thanks

[kirsten-mcg]

@Tom-Harshberger That's a good thing to keep in mind! Thanks for the reminder. This is just the first of a book cover series I'm planning to do, so I might actually end up using that same design for another book.