Mark321's Art Thread

Cool image....Glad you found a use for those...
btw welcome to the addiction, I mean fun..

I created this image a few years ago with Microsoft's Digital Image Suite (no longer available, except maybe on Amazon.com). But I punched up the picture with 3 fitlers. I call this image: "Horror Movie Poster".

3 filters were used:
latex noir by shantisands
Foxxee's 3D Image Enhancer by Foxxee
Light_Glow by baxx

Enjoy!

Thanks, Ghislaine!

This next image is actually an illustration from my children's picture book. It's title is "The Wonderful World of Misty the Magical Cat". I wrote and illustrated the book which is still available on Blurb.com.

This is one of my favorite images from the book. I call this image: "Pet Club at Sea" and I used two filters on it and I must say that I really like this image even better now.

The two filters I used are:
Foxxee's 3D Image Enhancer by Foxxee
Artificial Lighting by Indigo Ray

Enjoy!

Here's the back of the book. There will be no spine as this book is probably going to be a spiral bound book (not sure, wait and see). *If it's gonna be spiral bound I will have to off-set the left margins for the covers (back and front respectively).*

This image is adorable. It's really a picture of my cat (Ms. Tiger Lilly) when she was only 7 weeks old. I got her from the Dumb Friends League. I call this image: "Robo Kitty Takes a Call".

Two filters were used to create this:
StevieJ's CoolMetal by StevieJ
Luminance Color Gradient by dmchris

Enjoy!

And this is the back cover:

Well, I wasn't quite happy with the cover. Something was missing. But what...?
I know! The vine needed some grapes! So, I added them and I like this image finally.

I prefer the last one to the " this one " because it is more simple, not to charged.
So, wich one you prefer ?

I think that the last image was a little busy so I toned down the effect. What do you think now?

May I add to the critique?

I have to agree with the critique. It's "ok" at first then the jewel like texture over does it resulting in a pretty confused mixture of texture and just regular design.

I know this is a bit over board but I suggest taking a look at well established book cover designs: http://bookcoverarchive.com/

If you take a book cover down to its core purpose, it's supposed express what the book is. As far as I understand this book is about professional magic, presentation, through the text. Hence in essence the additional textures, the iconography (face especially), don't really add up to the point and purpose of the book.

I also think your profile picture on the front cover doesn't host much meaning. Let me explain, as a customer if you weren't standing next to this book, I would be wondering "who is this person? What does he have to do with professional magic?" There's also the gaze which gets me. As much as I'm looking at the book, the book cover is looking back at me. You may have an experience where perhaps a strange, unintentionally looked at you for a couple seconds, and then you looked at that stranger. It feels awkward, different, eventually both look away feeling strange like a bit of your privacy was penetrated. This is much the same way I feel. Usually the face or profile picture belongs with the biography section of the book. This helps establish who you are and removes the mystery and awkwardness of the gaze. The face with the bio has meaning, it has purpose, and results in the satisfaction of getting to know you. Again, this is about design, if you can suit any profile photograph into the cover, it's satisfactory.

The link I gave you displays some very strong elements of design. They exhibit balance in text and design, meaning, and purpose. Some of them may seem very simple, but I think they're carefully laid out to establish order. It makes the book stand out and have meaning to whoever picks it up. I think it's honestly a good place to learn presentation as well. It shows good form and style. I believe studying it would lead to better understanding... which I strongly think it ultimately betters yourself.

Don't mean to be a downer or anything, I'm just leaving my honest thoughts. You don't have to pick up every word / thought I've written down! I'm really just trying to explain my critique so we can all understand. I ultimately think this feels like a start of a project and the end needs further exploration!

Just think: good design = makes yourself better!

as usual Skybase gives very professional and useful comments

In my personal taste and opinion, if I would go to a bookshop I would like to see better this image WITH the magic wand found of the others added to this one



For me this one is more clear and elegant, although I do not know what is the relation of the green leaves with grapefuit and magic, I think that the items included in the cover should be related to the topic of the book.

Maybe seeing what others may seem to recognize as magic could help as shown on this google images search

Google Images magic search

Good job! Ah, the metal prop case used by so many before, magicians, musicians, etc etc.

This is a poster that I designed for a couple of magician friends. They wanted a poster that was better than the one they created so they called me. I was honored and I enjoyed seeing their show.

Enjoy!