I tried to imagine why someone would hire me for this book cover project and decided they would come to me to apply my style to this subject matter. So it ended up being a bit more retro-graphic and adult market than some of the others. I tried to imagined the book on display in a bookstore and what would draw me to it. 
hi.
I've been a creative director and animator for nearly 20 years, but I've always wanted to be an illustrator really. I draw nearly everyday for work, though it might not show! Hopefully being here will sharpen my skills.
I just finished an illustrated book to help kids get over anxiety about Covid.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1952937019
The ebook version is free.
my aging animation/direction site is:
http://tendercore.com
And my (just-starting-out) illustration site:
http://easternlit.com
Any feedback or advice would be much appreciated!
f
I'd focus on the front illustration, instead of the layout - since it doesn't seem like the full layout is adding anything special. I think this was one of the strongest illustrations in the prompt last month. I think it holds together well, and the fact that you included so many elements is pretty amazing. And of course the type treatment is wonderful. I don't think there much more to improve.
@carrieannebrown this is excellent - great type design too.
Never. Always be doing both. Seriously.
You'll always learn the most while you're doing, not while you're studying.
Regarding timing of your Kindle book, people are definitely shopping at thanksgiving. Ask Kindle how long it takes between when they get the files and when it's uploaded, then work backwards from that launch date, that allows them to do their thing. Will the author need time to review/revise your work? Add that in too. Make a calendar so you can see the number of days. Say thanksgiving is your launch date, and it takes Kindle 5 days to upload, and you're giving the the author 2 days to think about revisions and giving yourself 5 days to make revisions. Then you can see how much you have to do by when and it's concrete.
Regarding publicity for your book, give away some free copies beforehand to people who will give it positive reviews so those reviews appear the same time the ebook does. Try to think of relevant fields, organizations, and people to market it too. Is the book about a location, is the author or you in a location that the local newspaper or town-blog would want to do a story about you or the book? Definitely contact your local small-scale news sources - they always need content. Is the book about a particular subject, say emotional health for example? In which case,you contact doctors or mental health organizations to let them know the book exists and maybe they want to review it or recommend it or just put a link on their website?
@Nyrryl-Cadiz You probably know this but rays of light from the sun are parallel, so the shadow would be the same size as the dragonfly (or cloud or airplane) in the real world - though I know we aren't in the real world. Closer light sources make bigger shadows, obviously. So the spreading-out rays could create the effect of a miniature world, which might be cool. 
@Nyrryl-Cadiz You probably know this but rays of light from the sun are parallel, so the shadow would be the same size as the dragonfly (or cloud or airplane) in the real world - though I know we aren't in the real world. Closer light sources make bigger shadows, obviously. So the spreading-out rays could create the effect of a miniature world, which might be cool.
Never. Always be doing both. Seriously.
You'll always learn the most while you're doing, not while you're studying.
Regarding timing of your Kindle book, people are definitely shopping at thanksgiving. Ask Kindle how long it takes between when they get the files and when it's uploaded, then work backwards from that launch date, that allows them to do their thing. Will the author need time to review/revise your work? Add that in too. Make a calendar so you can see the number of days. Say thanksgiving is your launch date, and it takes Kindle 5 days to upload, and you're giving the the author 2 days to think about revisions and giving yourself 5 days to make revisions. Then you can see how much you have to do by when and it's concrete.
Regarding publicity for your book, give away some free copies beforehand to people who will give it positive reviews so those reviews appear the same time the ebook does. Try to think of relevant fields, organizations, and people to market it too. Is the book about a location, is the author or you in a location that the local newspaper or town-blog would want to do a story about you or the book? Definitely contact your local small-scale news sources - they always need content. Is the book about a particular subject, say emotional health for example? In which case,you contact doctors or mental health organizations to let them know the book exists and maybe they want to review it or recommend it or just put a link on their website?
Imagine approaching it like an animation: Can some of the pages use the same character poses? Say you have 5 characters and make 5 poses for each then just position them together? 25 character drawing then place them in different environments? Can you design 4 different hand poses and reuse them, for example? Or make a library of torsos like the characters are puppets that you place different parts together to make new poses? In any case I doubt that you would have to draw any character 100 different times - there just wouldn't be any need.
Building the characters as 3d models (physical or CG) would make changing the camera angles and lighting easier. If you hire a good 3d artist (if you're not one) they could apply your drawing style onto the 3d characters and then pose them anyway you want at any angle.
A 300 page illustrated book? Or a graphic novel with ~4 panels per page?
I'd make a presentation with style frames from your work or other's illustration that you can make and say "to do in this style: $X. and in this style: $XXX."
Just curious as to why nearly every illustration seems developed for children or a children's market? Is SVS specifically aimed at illustration for children? Did I miss that? Thanks!
I'd focus on the front illustration, instead of the layout - since it doesn't seem like the full layout is adding anything special. I think this was one of the strongest illustrations in the prompt last month. I think it holds together well, and the fact that you included so many elements is pretty amazing. And of course the type treatment is wonderful. I don't think there much more to improve.
@LisaF I got the same email. No link to the crit.
@MyArt-Multiverse Cool concept I think you should keep going, build them all out. Micro-feedback: I'd like the wings to be longer, to me these seem too short to provide enough lift + more dragon fly like if longer. ??? rock on.
@NessIllustration good to know! I'm always telling my animation students that illustration is super hard to break into because there are just so many talented people doing something that's really fun!
@Nyrryl-Cadiz thanks - that's a great suggestion. I just threw together some random work I had on hand to make that site. I should have made that clearer. For work, I've done editorial illustrations, book covers, and graphic design for print, and now this children's book - most of which has come from my animation clients.