Book Cover Illustrations

This is the concept art I did to create the background for my Tree Clan illustration. Actually, it’s two or three sketches combines… First, I got the sky figured out, then a separate layer forming the tree-like structures and bridges, another for the small figures standing on the structure (useful for giving it some “scale” to the eye).

When everything was more or less right, I put the layers together and added glowing areas and stars. A slight variation (flipped and with different colors) then because the background behind the Tree Clan gal and her monkey (which can be found in this blog).

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Duncan Long is a freelance book cover illustrator and concept artist. His book cover artwork has appeared on titles from HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Paladin Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See more of his work at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
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Concept art can take a variety of forms, but basically it’s a sketch an artist creates to give a customer (or 3D designer) an idea of what is needed in the final product, be it book cover, game character, or movie scene (or character).

Concept art is of necessity quickly done. And that rapid turnaround from artist to art director can not only save a lot of time by keeping everyone from heading down time-wasting dead ends, it can also allow the exploration of alternative “looks” for characters and scenes.

Although rapidly done, often concept art has a very pleasant, engaging look since it’s basically stripped down and somewhat stylized. It’s the “just the facts, mam” art.

I’ve show the sketch (above left) I did to get the face of the character for an illustration I was working on (the picture on the right is a detail from that picture — you can see the complete picture at my “Tree Clan” blog entry.)

This is perhaps a tad more refined than some concept art, however it’s not all that unusual, either.

Once the client or art director approves the concept sketch, the artist may complete the illustration (as in the case of a book cover), or go on to another project if someone else in an organization will be developing the sketch into a character (as in the case of a movie or game).

Concept art is fun to do, and it’s one of the useful “tools” employed throughout the entertainment industry whenever new characters are being developed.

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Duncan Long is a sometimes concept artist and book cover illustrator. His book cover artwork has appeared on titles from HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Paladin Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See more of his concept art at: http://duncanlong.com/illustration/movie_concept_art/movie_concept_art.html
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As can likely be seen by studying some of my previous posts, I’ve been working on creating “starscapes” of cultures that might (in a science fiction sort of way) exist far from Earth.

This is my latest exercise (and another book cover illustration without a home) that I hope will eventually be employed for a book cover or, if not, will inspire a book cover illustration and put a contract in my hot little paws. (And obviously the second picture is an enlarged version of the lower left of the illustration.)

In creating this illustration, I was struck by how elements of fantasy have entwined themselves into the science fiction story cannon. Perhaps it’s always been that way, but it seems like there’s more crossover than in the past. Magic, alternate history, even everyday life with just a few twists can become the fodder of a science fiction story.

And, yes, that is one evil-looking little monkey behind the gal.

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Duncan Long is a freelance book cover illustrator. His book cover artwork has appeared on titles from HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Paladin Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See more of his work at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html

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Another digital watercolor of a previous realistic book cover illustration I did. (The original is displayed and discussed here.)

The change in feel between this and the realistic book illustration is not quite as profound as the watercolor sketch in my previous blog entry, but it still conveys a slightly different feel.

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Duncan Long is a freelance artist whose illustrations appear as book covers on books marketed by HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, Paladin Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See more of his book cover illustrations — as well as a few watercolor versions of them — at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html

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It is often fun to play around with the media styles of artwork (well, I find it fun). In previous blogs I’ve displayed some of my digital “pen and pencil sketches.”

Now a “watercolor.”

It’s actually a version of the photo-realistic painting I did a few days ago (you can see it here). And I should note that, while this new picture is done in a watercolor style, this illustration is actually digital (and no electrons were harmed in the making of this painting).

Comparing the two versions of the pictures shows how the medium style used really can convey a somewhat or even much different feel.

Although seldom applied to artwork, I think Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the message” applies.

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Duncan Long is a freelance artist whose illustrations appear as book covers on books marketed by HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, Paladin Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See more of his book cover illustrations — as well as a few watercolor versions of them — at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html

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For fun I often create book cover illustrations – without an actual story to illustrate. Oddly enough, these often eventually find a home or attract attention of a publisher or author needing a similar book cover illustration.

Plus they’re fun to do.

Here’s the latest, a science fiction book cover illustration, presently without a home.

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Duncan Long is a freelance artist. His illustrations appear as book covers on books marketed by HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, Paladin Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See more of his book cover illustrations (published and unpublished illustrations he’s done for fun) at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html

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Portion of a matte painting I’ve been working on. You can see more of my matte work at: Duncan Long’s Movie Matte Gallery.

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Duncan Long is a freelance magazine and book illustrator. His artwork has appeared in publications from HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Ballistic Publishing, American Media, Fort Ross, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Paladin Press, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See more of his work at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html

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One of the nice things about creating artwork is that you can legally create “derivative” material from your own original work. Of course care has to be taken so everything doesn’t become too similar.

That said, here’s a digital “drawing” created from the character face that appears on the a CD album cover illustration I produced for Mario Moreno.

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Duncan Long is a freelance illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Ballistic Publishing, American Media, and many other presses and self-publishing authors — and occasionally also creates derivative drawings from his own work. See more of his work including book cover illustrations at: DuncanLong.com

While most of my bread-and-butter work comes from creating magazine artwork and book cover illustrations these days, I occasionally still write and also create CD covers. The picture above is this week’s project, for a CD album produced for a Christian band led by Mario Moreno.

A small band of angels may be added to the final version of the illustration – depending on whether the lettering on the CD cover allows room for them.

I inadvertently created a good laugh among the band members when they first saw the cover since the majority are African Americans and my creation is the proverbial lily white guy. I guess my stereotyping was showing when I did the cover (or perhaps this is a drawback I hadn’t considered in doing business via email).

After finishing the picture, I also realized that the guitarist looks a lot like the Western stereotypical Jesus (that is, more Nordic than Jewish). That said, perhaps the idea that the follower should become like the master was an unconscious influence. Hopefully that’s how most people will view this CD album cover illustration — rather than as a series of stereotypical blunders on the part of this artist.

The layout is pretty formal. I tried some angled views from above/behind the cross but getting the lighting right proved to be next to impossible and conveying the idea that Christ was on the cross became problematical as well. So in the end a somewhat unoriginal layout was employed. Yet perhaps that’s fitting given the idea of presenting oneself to royalty. And what could be more royal than the creator of the universe in the process of saving mankind?

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Duncan Long is a freelance illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Ballistic Publishing, American Media, and many other publishers. And occasionally creates CD album illustrations. See more of his CD album illustrations at: DuncanLong.com

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The Hubble telescope continues to inspire artists, bringing new styles and skies to science fiction as well as astronomy. I tried my hand at duplicating (in a rough way) some of the shots from Hubble, and then went ahead and created a “world” where such a sky might exist, adding a tiny fire and character in a cave atop the strange rock formation.

I started the process by creating the “rocks” as OBJ files in CB Model Pro, then imported them into Vue where I added two textures (a tile of lichens that I created and a stone surface I’d collected from back somewhen). The Vue render was then imported into Photo-Paint where I added stars to the sky, reworked the clouds, and added the gas nebula.

In Photo-Paint, the surface of the rock got another layer of ink splatters for a little more randomized surface, I sprayed in grass and cat tails, and then shifted much of the picture (and painted in more sky) to get things balanced out. The water reflection was then added along with the little cave and occupant inside.

Finally, the whole picture received a gradient/color boost to unite the elements and make things a tad more colorful.

You can see other artwork like this, including magazine cover work for Asimov’s Science Fiction as well as science fiction book cover illustrations in my Science Fiction Illustration Gallery.