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    Cover Design - Looking for input

    Questions & Comments
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    • MeiLiDesigns
      MeiLiDesigns last edited by MeiLiDesigns

      I am illustrating a children’s book about a little boy named Max. The book is a square. The author wants a football behind the boy going vertically. I am not sure how to incorporate the football.

      I am also looking for suggestions for font / colors for the title.

      Thank you for your help - finally figured out how to add the image right in the post.

      This is the first cover with the football the way the author requested it. I know the lines on the football field are wrong.

      0_1541621904560_4AA30A00-93C9-4D48-BF11-85CBE91E5344.jpeg

      Thank you!
      Kait
      Mei Li Designs
      www.KaitlynReber.com

      Nyrryl  Cadiz MeiLiDesigns 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Nyrryl  Cadiz
        Nyrryl Cadiz SVS OG @MeiLiDesigns last edited by

        @meilidesigns i can’t see the image in your link since I don’t have an account with adobe. Perhaps you can post it here in the forum. It would be really great if you do.

        Portfolio: nyrrylcadiz.com
        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyrryl_cadiz/
        YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJCF1Im8ZO7hpGWTKOJMuA

        MeiLiDesigns 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • MeiLiDesigns
          MeiLiDesigns @Nyrryl Cadiz last edited by MeiLiDesigns

          This post is deleted!
          Nyrryl  Cadiz MOO 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • Nyrryl  Cadiz
            Nyrryl Cadiz SVS OG @MeiLiDesigns last edited by

            @meilidesigns when you’re typing your post, try clicking the cloud icon with the upwards arrow which is located above the typing window. It’ll upload your image. It may take a while though if you have a large file. Also, it’ll only accept images. Pdf files don’t get uploaded. I hope this helps. I wish you all the best.

            Portfolio: nyrrylcadiz.com
            Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyrryl_cadiz/
            YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJCF1Im8ZO7hpGWTKOJMuA

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Branden Brushett
              Branden Brushett last edited by

              I signed in with my Adobe account and it says File corrupted or not supported.

              Looking forward to give some input when you get an image posted.

              Branden Brushett
              3D Game Artist/Writer/Illustrator
              Portfolio: https://brandenbrushett.wixsite.com/portfolio
              Instagram: www.instagram.com/picturebookjourney

              MeiLiDesigns 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • MOO
                MOO SVS OG @MeiLiDesigns last edited by

                @meilidesigns I post my images on facebook and then download them to put on here and it works. Then I sometimes quickly delete the FB page if I don't want others to see it 🙂 It works for me, maybe you coud do that. I'd love to see the image!

                Marsha Ottum Owen

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • MeiLiDesigns
                  MeiLiDesigns @MeiLiDesigns last edited by

                  @meilidesigns

                  This is the second one with the football leaning a bit to the side.

                  0_1541621969161_0ED57DD5-7342-4358-A7A7-61FEDE6B570B.jpeg

                  MeiLiDesigns 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • MeiLiDesigns
                    MeiLiDesigns @MeiLiDesigns last edited by

                    @meilidesigns
                    This is the 3rd idea with the football going the other way. Not sure the author will want this.

                    Thank you for your input!
                    Kait

                    0_1541622212994_1258279D-C6BF-4B08-8179-AC7B02D82359.jpeg

                    MOO 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • MeiLiDesigns
                      MeiLiDesigns @Branden Brushett last edited by

                      @branden-brushett
                      Just uploaded the images to the post. There are three different images - please see the comments for the others.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Branden Brushett
                        Branden Brushett last edited by

                        Of the 3 compositions, I do like the one going vertical the most. Though I'm confused by the dog. It throws it off a bit for me but I guess some context into the story would clear that up? Is the dog necessary?

                        If it were me, I would try having the football be the background with the title of the book in it. Not sure how that would look, just a thought. I understand the author wants something specific.

                        Another thought would be to have the football in the dogs hand as if he is catching it.

                        With the font.. again, this is just me, I would get rid of the outline and the glow. And drop the white yard lines to begin below the title so it's not crossing through the Dream part of the title. Or you could use those white yard lines, make the font plain white (no red outline) and have them intersect into the title "Max's Football Dream" as if the yard lines were painted with the words in it.

                        Keep playing with it and let's see what others say too. Good job btw! I like the boys expression.

                        Branden Brushett
                        3D Game Artist/Writer/Illustrator
                        Portfolio: https://brandenbrushett.wixsite.com/portfolio
                        Instagram: www.instagram.com/picturebookjourney

                        MeiLiDesigns 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • MOO
                          MOO SVS OG @MeiLiDesigns last edited by MOO

                          @meilidesigns I only see one image. I'm wondering if the football would look better at an angle. There are already a lot of vertical and horizontal lines. But that might affect th placing of the text too. I might put the dog somewhere else too or rearrange him a bit. Looks really nice. Clean and colorful 🙂

                          Marsha Ottum Owen

                          MeiLiDesigns 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • MeiLiDesigns
                            MeiLiDesigns @Branden Brushett last edited by

                            @branden-brushett

                            Thank you so much! The author wanted a mascot (the dog) that would appear throughout a series of books. All of the books will be about things Max dreams of - like being a football player.

                            I will play around some more!
                            Kait

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                            • MeiLiDesigns
                              MeiLiDesigns @MOO last edited by MeiLiDesigns

                              @marsha-kay-ottum-owen
                              Thank you! The other 2 images are in the comments. One is on an angle a bit. Not really happy with the composition of any of them. Can you see the others?

                              MOO 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • StudioLooong
                                StudioLooong last edited by

                                I think the way you've rendered everything is really nice but you could introduce some structure to the scale and placement of the elements in your composition to help it read a little better. The size of the boy doesn't make sense compared to the dog, ball, or the field. If the football needs to be large and vertical behind the boy I would make it much larger to appear as more of a graphic background than an object competing for attention with the characters. If not, I would try having the boy holding a football instead.

                                The way the dog is placed creates a tangent with the kid's shoulder. Is the dog a character with a role in the story? If so maybe you could have the boy and him standing back to back with their arms crossed or interacting in some other way. Having the two of them standing on the same plane would also leave more room to use the football behind them as a secondary element.

                                0_1541643185115_IMG_8016.jpg

                                If the dog isn't relevant to the story maybe you could create some sort of little circle/seal/logo that could contain him up near the title? Maybe something like the little "I can read it" mark on this book?

                                alt text

                                I would also try to stay away from using outlines and glows/shadows at the same time on the text. The simpler the better.

                                Taylor Woolley
                                (Formerly Taylor Ackerman / StudioLooong)


                                Website: www.woolleystories.com
                                Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woolleystories/

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • Adrian K
                                  Adrian K last edited by

                                  Nice work, honestly I like the second one the best for composition. Having the brown football behind the brown hair of the kid and the brown dog on the other two, looses the readability just a bit.

                                  https://www.artbyadriankuhn.com
                                  https://facebook.com/artbyadriankuhn
                                  https://www.instagram.com/artbyadriankuhn

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                                  • MOO
                                    MOO SVS OG @MeiLiDesigns last edited by

                                    @meilidesigns Yes, I see them now. Of the three I do like the one with the football at an angle.

                                    Marsha Ottum Owen

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