Cover art

[EUOL]

So, here's the latest from Tor.  They're thinking of using this guy:  

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0312860722/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-2702599-9990217#reader-link

on my cover.  

Comments?  His name is Richard Bober, and I personally really like his attention to detail, but I'm not sure I like his faces.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

hrm,

I'm trying to figure out what's going on with that picture. I mean... it's kind of boring looking. Despite the one guy looking shocked about something, the other characters aren't doing anything about it really. so like, is he going to do a similar cover, where people are just sitting still? Or is there going to be action?

[stacer]

I like the impressionist feeling to the surroundings, but the people are way too similar to what's-his-name's covers who did WoT. And I agree with SE, there should be more going on in the picture, characters interacting.

[Spriggan]

well its a cover of the second book in a series, so maybe the people that have read the first will understand the cover more.  Wich is fine with me, since covers of the second book isn't usealy going to cause people to buy the first.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

true. You want people to buy the first one anyway. However, I'm wondering about the artist's general approach. Are there more examples of his work out there?

[Spriggan]

http://www.sierra-arts.net/files/Mar04FHFBoberRichard2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/moonshadow.geo/art/bober.html

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Richard+Bober&sa=N&tab=wi

Here's some links to several other covers/painting buy the guy.  That may help with the discussion a bit.

I like his backgrounds (the cleopatra one is very cool), and I like how some of his covers (like the one EUOL linked) have a classical feal to them.  I have to agree with EUOL that I don't care much for their faces though.

Edit: added a link to Google's image search.  some stuff there that's not in the others.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

hrm... he does do a lot of passive paintings. THough there are a couple active ones. That would be my primary concern. Though I also think that the style of the painting doesn't really mesh with your writing style.

[EUOL]

Personally, I like covers where the figures are static.  I really like the ones that have the characters standing there, as if their portrait were being done.  That's why I like artists like Whalen and Keith Parkinson (or, at least, some of his.)  Action poses, with motion, kind of annoy me.

I actually like this guy's art.  However, I'm not sure it fits the mood of ELANTRIS, which has a kind of dark atmosphere.

[Spriggan]

Well I guess the question is, do you envision places in your book as extravagent as how he does it?

But if I were you I'd go for Amano, just becasue I love his art.

http://www.amanosworld.com/

[EUOL]

I haven't seen him do book covers in a LONG time over here, sprig.  In fact, I think the only ones I ever recal him doing were the original Eleric covers.  (That was him, right?)


I've been thinking of suggesting Charles Keegan

http://www.keeganprints.com/

Because I like his paintings, he does cover art for Tor a lot, and because Fell, Tage and I kind of know him.

I wonder if James Christiansen ever does cover art.

[Spriggan]

ya that's him, he does comic book covers over here.  Also just did all the art work to a Gamem Sandman comic.  The thing I'm annyod with is Amano dosen't sell prints.  He sometimes sells originals but I don't have 30k for one.

[House of Mustard]

Personally, I really like that Bober cover.  It seems quite a bit different from what is covering most fantasy books (not that I'm extremely well versed in that genre).  I also like that it's not an action pose, for that same reason.

[EUOL]

It's kind of amusing.  I asked my agent what he thought of the artist and his only response was something along the lines of:

"You mean they're actually telling you who the artist is going to be BEFORE they hand you the cover proofs?  Man, you're lucky."

[Tage]

This guy definitely isn't right for Elantris. Maybe for Way of Kings or Dragonsteel, but not Elantris. I'd ask them to hit up Keegan, though, since everything I've seen from him would be a good fit.

[42]

The guy has a very neo-classical style, which is a very safe conservative style. However, I think his designs could be stronger. He seems to struggle with emphasis. Though he has a good grasp of chiaroscuro, I'm not seeing him use it to articulate any motion in his works. In other words, poor concepts, but great technique.

Course, for your first book, picking a conservitive/technichy accomplished artist is usually a good idea. Course, I think I prefer more avante garde covers since they stick out in my mind more and help the book be distinguished from other books on the shelf. I also hope you get some good typography done on your cover. Those covers had a lot of just tacky typography.

Also to answer your question reguarding James Christensen, no he does not create works specifically for cover art. At least last time I spoke with him, which was at his exhibit opening last september(?). Course, if you find a work of his that matches your book he will usually consider you letting publish it.