Introducing Eli and Tucker Tenacious From My Upcoming Book Titled GALLOP (to be published by Editor-911 Books)
What I’ve Learned Creating the Book Cover Art for GALLOP
A thrilling ride on an untamed horse gives Eli a moment of peace from the anger over his parents’ divorce, especially with the setting sun on his face and the rising moon at his back. I gotta admit, I’m in love with this piece I created with cut-paper for the cover of GALLOP!
This is your sneak peek. I’ve edited the final photo to remove blemishes from glue specks and unwanted paper seams. I can’t wait for you to see the finished cover. The title will be on top and the series name on the right side!
Here are some things I’ve learned creating this piece:
- The background composition is the hardest part and it takes me forever to decide what I want. Once I get that part figured out, I love creating the main characters. In this case, they are the boy and the horse.
- I learned not to be afraid to play. If I trim something too small, or glue on the wrong color, I can just go over it. I’m learning not to make everything so precious!
- It’s okay to ask for help and advice! This is SO necessary, I’m not sure why I get embarrassed asking.
- My daughter, Brittany, has a GREAT eye. She can instantly tell me when something is off with a proportion or angle.
- My husband, Greg, will come hang out on the giant beanbag in the art room while I work. Once in a while he’ll say, “That looks funny…” Eventually, I see what he meant and I can correct it.
- My cousin, Teresa, was an art teacher. She has helped me with all three cover pieces. She gets to see the very rough and usually very ugly first sketches. She always has tips and suggestions that are spot on.
- My friend, Jill, from my old illustrator’s group is a watercolor artist. She helped so much with improving contrast and suggesting changing lines that were causing confusion.
- My friend, Martie, has owned horses and raced horses for years. The knowledge she’s shared with me has made such a difference in the final details. She has been surrounded by horses and can tell me things like, “maybe a skoosh wider at the forearm/knee junction.” This is information I can’t always get from reference photos.
- I can use whatever colors I want and like! The colors don’t have to match what they would be in real life. Actually, I like it better when they don’t! That realization is what is making me an artist.
- And lastly, few things compare to the feeling I get when I finish an art piece.
You’ll be hearing more about GALLOP in future posts. Thanks for reading!
Kidsillio 