Author Topic: More Art for You to Digest  (Read 15342 times)

EUOL

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More Art for You to Digest
« on: November 09, 2007, 08:27:06 PM »
All right, well, we just got a Warbreaker concept sketch.  This is fairly early in the process, so we can (hopefully) actually have some influence on this one before it comes out.  However, I thought I'd show it to you all.  I'm interested in knowing what the people who have read the book will think of the cover, but I'm equally interested in hearing from those of you who haven't.  Would this make you pick up the novel?

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charity

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2007, 08:42:55 PM »
My four year old son just came up behind me and said, "WOW! She looks beautiful!"

I haven't read warbreaker yet, it's on my list though! ;)

I like the art, but as a non reader It doesn't tell me anything about the story. I do like it though and I would probably pick it up and read the synopsis if I saw it in the store.

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2007, 09:20:37 PM »
Ooh, I like it, but I haven't read Warbreaker.  But this is a very pretty cover.
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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2007, 10:54:04 PM »
I've read part of it before I lost track of where I was reading when I missed a few chapters while computerless for awhile. 

1) her arms seems disproportionately long for her body and it bothers me.

2) if you didn't know the story at first glance it looks like the brightly colored swirl is coming from her hair instead of her mouth. 

3) if you do know the story you wonder why her mouth is not open

4) I liked the lettering of the title except for the fact that the W is duplicated.  Some people might think of the title as "W. warbreaker"

5) I wonder if guys would be turned off a bit to picking it up because the cover might look like "a girl's fantasy story".  I've know guys who do that.  They also refuse to read anything with dragons because they think those are fantasy stories "just for girls".

6) I miss the depth of field in the art that's been on your other covers.  I kind of wanted something in the background to add to it? set context? I don't know.

7) seeing this image after reading a part of it I can see how it fits in with the story (and also helps to bring back the story since it's been awhile)

8) I like to see a little bit more blood on the blade

$.02 given (for what it's worth)

Spriggan

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2007, 10:58:08 PM »
that's one long tongue

Outside of that it actually looks good which is amazing since the art on his site wasn't that intresting.
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EUOL

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2007, 11:19:25 PM »
Yeah, we like the concept of the Breath he was trying to portray, but it looks too much like a tongue.  It needs some kind of change. 

Thanks, all, for the input so far.  This has been very useful. I'm waiting to see what our artist and or bookseller types have to say.

Also of note, we're probably changing this title to be

MYTHWALKER
Chronicles of the Warbreaker, Part One.

Having 'War' in the title just seemed to give the wrong impression.  Though, with this --Edit--COVER, it might not be as much a problem. 
« Last Edit: November 10, 2007, 01:41:21 AM by EUOL »
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Cheetaur

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2007, 01:17:21 AM »
I like it overall, my only comment is I'm all about the art that if you have a choice in cover art... it shows a scene in the book.  So that when i come across that scene, it makes me excited to see how the artist imagined it, and know the story behind the picture.  Therefore, I'm less of a fan of the cover where its a single portrait that could be placed in several sections of a story, but eh... personal preference

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2007, 01:24:52 AM »
I like the cover more-or-less.

I actually like the lack of proportion in the arms. I really like the angle of the picture and the pose. I feel having the arms proportional would ruin the pose.

It doesn't make me want to buy the book if I saw it next to any other fantasy book. It makes me think the book it targeted for a female audience, so that would be the number one reason I wouldn't buy the book if I saw.

Course, having read much of the book, it does seem to target a female audience in a way. So perhaps this is a good approach.

The multi-colored tongue thing not really conveying the concept of breath for me. The resemblance to a tongue makes it a little too sensual, but not in a good way.

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Spriggan

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2007, 01:28:58 AM »
All of EUOL's books target females.
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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2007, 01:52:46 AM »
All of EUOL's books target females.

So do I.

I like the cover but I really don't like either of the titles. Mythwalker is VERY generic and really has nothing to do with the story at all. At least make a reference to Breath, Awakening, or an undead king.
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Spriggan

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2007, 02:29:42 AM »
Yes, but you're not married.
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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2007, 02:41:01 AM »
So this is a concept sketch, right? Should we expect the final product to be as finally detailed as your other covers? If so, it should be fine (otherwise the whole abstract watercolor technique just does not work for me). But I don't like the lettering at all. It's too fancy, especially with the big W; it gives the impression of a cheap romance novel.

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #12 on: November 10, 2007, 03:10:14 AM »
I gave my comments on the blog. But I didn't mention that the kerning between the r and e is too wide. ;)
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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #13 on: November 10, 2007, 03:17:26 AM »
A lot of these things have already been mentioned.  As concept art, I think it's pretty nice, but it doesn't look like a fantasy book cover at all to me.  The typeface, however, is fun and says fantasy.  Everything else tells me romance novel; I wouldn't be picking this up off the shelf because of the artwork.  I would be picking it up because I was hunting for Brandon's next book.  It would be nice if the cover could grab the female audience Sprig was talking about without alienating the male audience altogether.

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Re: More Art for You to Digest
« Reply #14 on: November 10, 2007, 04:12:08 AM »
I like the shadowing from the title. 

The Breath should be more misty, I think.
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