Richard Blunt Grand Theft Magic book cover artwork

Final book cover art by illustrator Duncan Long.

I got word today from Richard Blunt that his third book in the Lucas Trent fantasy series Grand Theft Magic is now in print.

Like most cover illustrations, this one went through several concepts before we landed on one that worked. Key to the project was capturing an ominous, even threatening feel coupled with magic within the fantasy genre.

We didn’t strike pay dirt right off… One especially awful concept painting I managed to create had one hand over the sorcerer’s head and the other hand in from of him. It was terrible beyond belief (and will not be posted). Use your imagination and it will still be better than the actual results.

From there I created several more versions. One was a bit more intriguing and laid the groundwork for half the final figure — the cool/ice side of him. In some ways it is more ominous than our final cover artwork.

Another version of the book cover illustration by artist Duncan Long

A more ominous cover concept painting by artist Duncan Long.

And here’s the final cover illustration with lettering:

Richard Blunt book cover illustration by artist Duncan Long

Final book cover illustration with lettering.

You can purchase this book from Amazon in Kindle, hardcover, and softcover formats at: Grand Theft Magic.

You can also view the Book Trailer at the author’s web site, and learn more about this book.

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See more of this book designer’s artwork at Duncan Long’s Portfolio.