Book Cover Illustrations

Last year I did the graphic design, layout, and illustration (and used a typeface I’d designed) for Richard Thieme’s Mind Games.

Yesterday I discovered that it’s possible to read/explore most of the book online with the “look inside” feature at Amazon.com. I never know what to think about the “look inside” feature. In theory it sells more books. For me, it often allows me to read enough of a book to decide not to buy it. Hopefully most readers aren’t as much of a skinflint as I am.

=====================
When not shamelessly plugging books he’s illustrated, Duncan Long acts as a professional magazine and book illustrator with his artwork appearing in publications from HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

I recently created a portfolio to mail to potential clients in the publishing industry. Since folks contact me from time to time asking for prints of my work, I decided to make the book available to the public — so those wanting prints may purchase the book.

There are 34 pictures in all, many full-page (with 18 pages total plus the front/back cover).

The book is printed at 300 dpi on 8.5×11-inch, full-color pages, so the publication can be disassembled and separate pages framed should a buyer so desire. OR the PDF version of the book can be purchased and individual pictures printed as needed on a home printer (technically this might be skirting copyright issues in some nations, but if you’ve purchased a copy and the prints are for your personal use, I won’t have a problem with it).

And I’ve kept the price at nearly my cost for the print and a couple bucks cheaper than the print edition for the PDF so I shouldn’t gouge those wanting prints too much (I figure this is somewhat like an ad for me — so prices can be low). I may also offer a signed and numbered edition — 100 copies in total — for those who collect artwork. If you’re interested, drop me a line for the price and availability.

You can purchase my portfolio at Lulu.com as well as explore some of the pages of the book.

And maybe give me a five-star review while you’re there (hint, hint).

=====================
When not peddling his portfolio, Duncan Long works as a professional book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

“The Lake of Fire” has proven to be one of my most popular illustrations. It has appeared on various websites, been used in PowerPoint presentations, and served as the spin-off for at least three book illustrations (generally as the background). “Lake of Fire” has appeared in several magazines, and also has the unique honor of being the most stolen illustration I’ve created. (I’m not sure what the moral to that story is — sadly I’ve been forced to send out warning notices and to even order the closure of a site or two because of use without permission, something I always hate being forced to do).

“Lake of Fire” was one of my early digital illustration efforts. It started, believe it or not, as a photo of some ducks swimming on a lake with the sunlight reflected back into the camera lens. I pushed the saturation and contrast, getting the dark reds and blacks, and one think led to another until I had stumbled into the picture. I plopped some skeletons and figures into the mix, created some red reflections in the “smoke” above the lake, and created some liquid mirroring — and there was the completed picture.

Unlike most of my early work, this one has remained on my galleries. The others have been relegated to the dustbins as an artist’s early work should be.

(Here’s the latest web page to put this picture to use: Adventist Today

=====================
When not contemplating Hell, Duncan Long labors as a professional magazine and book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

Well, 2011 is here. Time to start dating checks by the wrong year once again. And hope the family doctor doesn’t try the Alzheimer’s trick question, “Mr. Long, what year do you think it is?”

As those who follow this blog know, I often create digital paintings strictly for my own fun and entertainment. So not surprisingly perhaps, I ended the year with such a project, finishing just hours before the new year rolled around.

This painting is based on a photo taken of Theodora Goss during Thanksgiving (and posted on her site). I was taken by the relaxed grace of the pose, with the profile reminding me of a face that would be at home on a classical mural in Venice. Coupled with the lighting streaming in on Theordora’s face — well, how could I resist?

You can find Theodora’s reaction to the painting at her blog.

Hopefully my efforts did my subject a little justice. Beauty is always a task to capture, and even at his best, an artist can only hope to capture a tiny spark of what is there.

Wishing one and all a Happy New Year!

=====================
Duncan Long is a freelance magazine and book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

A few months ago I posted the Evil Tooth Fairy, so it seemed only fair to post a Wicked Santa. I doubt there’ll be a Savage Easter Bunny — but perhaps.

=====================
When not destroying children’s idols, Duncan Long labors as a professional magazine and book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

South African-based Prepare the Way magazine will be reprinting my “Rage At Heaven” illustration along with the article it illustrated (originally printed in Lamplighter magazine).

=====================
Duncan Long is a professional magazine artist and illustrator whose work has appeared in the Lamplighter, Prepare the Way, Asimov’s Science Fiction, the Sun tabloid, and other other publications. See his book and magazine illustrations and artwork at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

Yesterday’s work. As usual, potential book artwork waiting to be purchased for a book cover illustration or inner artwork in a book — or for use as a CD album cover, poster, or what have you. The fun thing about creating illustrations for my own enjoyment is that I never know where they will eventually be sold.

This one is named “A Is for Andromeda” which may (or may not) be the name of a science fiction novel or other creation. My apologies to the earlier creator, with the admonition that titles can’t be copyrighted so please no crossing of legal swords or challenge to a duel.

=====================
Duncan Long is a professional illustrator. His work has appeared in publications from HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Ballistic Publishing, Asimov’s Science Fiction, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book artwork and illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

Yet another book illustration from my newly illustrated version of Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death — which can be downloaded for free from Datafilehost (in PDF format).

I’ve also created the book illustrations for two other free ebooks: Poe’s “Eleonora” and “The Raven.”

Feel free to share all three books with your friends, post the titles for download, link to them, etc., etc. I enjoy being able to offer these for free — and they serve as a sort of advertisement for my book cover illustration and book artwork business.

Word-of-mouth advertising often brings book cover artwork projects to me, so the more these free ebooks are shared, the more it helps my business (and encourages me to create more free ebooks). So your help in spreading these to friends and acquaintances is always appreciated.

=====================
When not creating his own editions of Poe’s stories and poems, Duncan Long works as a freelance magazine and book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================

I’ve done a lot of magazine illustration and artwork over the years, and forget what has been done. Thus, I was rather startled re-discover this picture I did for the Sun tabloid in 2003. I never actually saw the article, but the art director told me it was about how the government (TSA) would be buying equipment that would basically strip folks naked at the airports.

Seven years later – the story is fact. Albeit not quite in the full color of the picture I painted for the article.

I don’t know that this suggests life imitating art as much as the ability of a writer to anticipate and comment on what’s coming down the pike. But it sort of makes me wonder what else the tabloid has written about that’s waiting in the wings.

====================
When not speculating about the future, Duncan Long is a professional magazine and book illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, ISFiC Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his book illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
=====================