Book Cover Illustrations

Folks often ask if I use paints (or ink) to produce my book and magazine illustrations. Short answer: No. But I started as an actual painter and later as a pen-and-ink illustrator. But digital is so much cleaner and faster (plus there’s that undo key), that there’s just no contest between it and real paint. […]

I’ve been getting emails warning of a coming “Government Censorship of the Internet” and threats of “Government Blacklisting.” Strong words there. After reading about the proposed US bill “Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act,” I’m afraid I’m about 90 percent for the measure. Here’s why. The bill basically blocks US access to sites that are […]

Mother Jones magazine recently published “The Death of Fiction“ which suggests that while magazines that publish fiction are being flooded with submissions these days, the publications have fewer and fewer subscribers and readers. From this the author concludes that fiction, especially short stories, is dying. Well, maybe. But one is reminded of the old Mark […]

You’ve got a great book idea. You’ve got your manuscript finished and polished (and if it isn’t near perfect, stop reading now and come back when your manuscript is as close to flawless as is humanly possible for you to make it). Now what? How do you get that manuscript into print? Right at the […]

It isn’t rare to read a book and discover that the cover illustration didn’t have much to do with the story. One reason for this is that with many publishers cutting back with their budgets, cover artwork often suffers either in how well it is done (you do get what you pay for) or in […]

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. […]

I often get questions from new illustrators for tips on how to get started as a book illustrator, or how to find work as an artist in this or that field. Here are my suggestions.