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archive exampleGive the cover one clear focus
Pick the single relationship a reader should notice first, then let everything else point at it.
Lessons
Ten short lessons in cover thinking.
Each lesson takes a few minutes, gives a prompt starting point, and ends with a check you can run on your own cover. Worked examples can be opened panel by panel.
One panorama, 1482 by 1062 pixels, showing how back, spine and front stay part of the same painting.
1482 by 1062 pixels, crop 0, 0, 1482, 1062 from the The Archive panorama. Approved for site showcase and technique lessons only. Not a print master and not sold as high-resolution art.
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Use materials with purpose
Texture, cloth, stone and paper only earn their place when they carry meaning.
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Let one symbol suggest the story
A single object can carry a promise that a crowded scene cannot.
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archive exampleBuild depth with a clear purpose
Layered distance and directed light should lead the eye, not simply impress.
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Leave room for the actual title
Plan the title area before the artwork gets detailed.
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Let the title lead
Some books sell best when the lettering is the whole idea.
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Build a repeatable series emblem
A series needs a rule that survives across several books.
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Make the lettering part of the idea
Letterforms can behave like illustration when the concept supports it.
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tideline exampleGive every color a job
A short palette with one accent reads faster at thumbnail size.
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Use a frame without shrinking the story
Borders can focus a scene or strangle it. The difference is deliberate.