Book Cover Illustrations

Another book illustration that does not yet have a home: “For You, a Rose.” ===================== Duncan Long is a freelance book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his cover illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html =====================

Some folks get discouraged from becoming artists because they don’t have much natural talent at drawing. As a one-time T-square and triangle-aholic, I can tell you that many fine illustrators can’t draw worth beans. They just know how to use their tools to make lines, shadows, and what-have-you. Craftsmanship not talent. Over time, craftsmanship will […]

We’ve all heard about the suffering artist. Edgar Allan Poe drinks himself nuts, scribing poems and stories that seem to relate to the early loss of a young woman he loved. Vincent Van Gogh lopped off an ear and then painted a picture of his one-eared self. These aren’t unique artistic tales. There really is […]

Another book illustration that does not yet have a home: “To Kill the King: Assassin.” All rights available including book cover rights. ===================== Duncan Long is a freelance book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his cover illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html =====================

Believe it or not, occasionally I turn down work (no small thing perhaps for a guy with a bit of Scottish blood in his veins). The reason is that sometimes I’ll decide my style will not fit what the client needs, or that the client might be better served with a stock photo or the […]

Another portion of an illustration for John Chadwell’s Werewolves of New Idria graphic novel (which I’m doing the cover and interior illustrations for). This is the Brasilia, matriarch of the wolf clan of New Idria. This character has had a long evolution, going through several different “looks” before I finally settled on modeled her after […]

So you’ve written your great American novel. And despite its merits, you can’t get it edged past the glut of manuscripts now flooding every major publishing house. You’re convinced your book has merit. You decide to publish. Now what? First you need to understand that you face an uphill battle when it comes to marketing […]

The cover illustration should tell a story, but it can never tell THE story. That’s the job of the author through the text of the book.

Recently a few publishers have started adding black and white illustrations to their novels and short story collections. In the past when type was still being set for printing, the use of such illustrations was generally saved for key points within a book, such as the title page. Otherwise, fictional books were pretty much free […]

Choosing the right typeface (aka “font”) for a book cover or other publication is not as easy as it may seem. Part of the problem is the huge wealth of choices most of us have today. Back just a few decades ago, a designer might have access to a dozen typefaces on a good day. […]