Contest #2: Alternative Book Cover

I think my cover better represents this book for multiple reasons. First, this cover shows the Christy Award decal/medallion - an award that this book did win, but which was never displayed on the cover. Secondly, the worn stone floor, pool of water, darkness (the white spot is supposed to be a lone spot that light is shining down on from above) and shackle represent the fact that Scarlet is in prison for most of the novel, while the openness of the shackle and the presence of the keys show that he escapes. Thirdly, the coloration of the title still fulfills the nearly obligatory visual representation/pun of Will Scarlet's name. It may not look professional (seeing as it's hand drawn and not a photoshopped picture), but I feel it conveys what I want it to quite well.

Summary of the book:
After losing everything he owns, forester Will Scarlet embarks on a search for none other than King Raven, whose exploits have already become legendary. After fulfilling his quest--and proving himself a skilled and loyal companion--Will joins the heroic archer and his men.
Now, however, Will is in prison for a crime he did not commit. His sentence is death by hanging--unless he delivers King Raven and his band of cohorts.
That, of course, he will never do.
Wales is slowly falling under the control of the invading Normans, and King William the Red has given his ruthless barons control of the land. In desperation, the people turn to King Raven and his men for justice and survival in the face of the ever-growing onslaught.From deep in the forest they form a daring plan for deliverance, knowing that failure means death for them all.
Scarlet continues Stephen R. Lawhead's riveting saga that began with the novel Hood, which relocated the legend of Robin Hood to the Welsh countryside and its dark forests. Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medieval Britain, Lawhead's trilogy conjures up an ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood.

Original Cover:

19 comments:

  1. Someone looks like they've been taking art classes. :D
    No, but really, the cover is great. I LOVE the text - the red (or should I say scarlet) color makes it pop. And I don't know if the 'cracks' in the title were intentional or not, but I personally think that they work to your advantage. You know, I'm not quite sure why, but my eyes are drawn to the water. It's very...hypnotic.

    As for the original cover. It's very simple. Good. However, it doesn't look like it represents the book too well. In comparison, It looks like you spent more time on your concept of the cover. I'm not a big fan of the noose, and the 3-D-ness of the title is slightly off putting. I DO LIKE how the little curve in the 'R' looks like a bow though, clever Mr. book artist guy...wherever you are. Plus, WHY WOULDN'T THEY PUT THE AWARD ON THE BOOK?! That's just odd. If my book won some fancy award, I'd make sure that everyone knew by parading it around with the gold shiny-ness of it all.

    Anyways, loving this alternate cover. Great work! :)

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    1. Thanks! Yours was great too! Good Luck!
      haha right now it looks like this contest will be between you and me ;P

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    2. Thank you, kind fellow. The best of luck to you too! :)
      Oh yeah, that's right. 50/50 chance for each of us. >:D

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    3. not quite 50/50 - it's not a draw
      ppl vote for the best
      remember?

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    4. Still, with only the two of us right now, better chances of winning. XD

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  2. Question: Can you vote for both??

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    1. coughwhatdoyouthinkofmyentry?cough

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    2. LOOL I love it! :) I am probably the worst artist in the world so when I see things like this it totally blows my mind. I haven't read the book you drew the cover for so I can't tell you if it relates to the book, but based on your summary it seems like it does. I love the symbolism in the shackle and keys, and it is very visually appealing. Plus, the font you used for the title is pretty damn awesome. Props to you for the award; like Ashley said, I don't get why they wouldn't include it in the actual book cover :/ Everything is drawn amazingly! And I like your explanation. It breaks everything down very well.

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  3. Annnd if I enter can I still vote?

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  4. Ashini: I don't know - ask the librarian
    :P

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  5. Okay, good! :D I am STILL trying to get my cover done. I have made about 6 for 2 different books and all of them have turned out looking like complete crap. I'm thinking this contest isn't really my kind of thing... :(

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    1. Come on now, I'm sure they don't look like crap. XD
      Maybe, try using snapseed or instagram to edit your picture, if you're taking photos, then it REALLY helps. Also, for the cover, I found that the pictures I took with a simple background were a lot easier to manipulate. That way the picture itself pops in comparison. Finding font that looked good was probably the most difficult part. I ended up using 'League Gothic' after a quick internet search. ---> http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/08/5-great-fonts-for-book-covers/ Then, I pasted everything into 'paint' and put it all together. :)

      I'm still an amateur at this stuff too, but these were the things I found that helped throughout the process. Hopefully they'll help you too! :D

      GOOD LUCK!

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    2. I'm usually no artist either. It took FOREVER to get this one to where it is, and I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I decided to enter it anyway. It won't hurt to try, you never know what may happen!
      My advice: just choose your best one and enter it.
      Good Luck!!!

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    3. Ashley: Yes, they really do. I'm not being hard on myself; they are complete crap. After you mentioned using snapseed on your entry for the picture, I tried it out on mine. But I have never edited pictures before (shocking, I know) so I was utterly lost. I have no idea what to do with all the buttons and technical stuff. And what the hell is a "layer". I couldn't do anything until I put on a layer, and when I did, I couldn't access anything I did before I put the layer on. -.- I ended up using a youtube tutorial, but I still couldn't get it to work for me. Thank you so much for the tips! I will check out the font site, since I have the same problem you did :D Thanks, and hopefully I will get this done. If I can't get it the way I want it (or at least close) I don't think I'm going to enter. It's better not to enter than post an ugly cover and embarass myself :P I've only got a week to work on it since I'm going to be in Vegas all of this week. adaoiejfijz. I never knew it would be this difficult! I can't believe you got it done in like 3 days!

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    4. bendavis: I can just imagine. I know how long I take with the simplest of artwork, and your cover is super detailed and well thought out. I guess I could enter what I've got, but I'm not 100% happy with it, I'm 0% happy with it. I'm going to keep trying to get it at least a little bit better, but if not I'll consider entering. Thanks! And gl to you with the contest! Ditto for Ashley :)

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    5. I use snapseed on the ipad, so maybe it's different on the computer? I've never had to use layers...I have no idea how to use them either. :/

      If your cover is essentially a photo, I could try editing it. It would probably only take like 5 minutes, so it's not a huge hassle at all (there's literally an 'automatic' button that I spammed XD). If I didn't have this program, then the pictures would definitely not look as polished. XD

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  6. Try the pixlr-o-matic
    http://pixlr.com/o-matic/
    it's free, and rlly user friendly!

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