6 Comments

Shonto’s garden is so beautiful. You get to work with so many talented writers. Do you get to choose what the cover will be or does the author/ publisher have input too? Also do you read any of the book to get a feel for the setting before you create the cover? Sorry for all the questions Michael. I’m just curious about the whole process.

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Those are all good questions. Thanks!

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Thank you. I will definitely check out the link, and thanks for the reply. The art you create is incredible and an inspiration. I have just started drawing again after 20 years and having so much fun. Thanks again Michael.

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Yes, I read through the manuscript to get a sense of the whole book then take a second pass making notes and sketches. I present a handful of preliminary concepts to the publisher, and it's usually the art director who decides on the direction of the cover.

There's a detailed account of the process that I shared on my website if you're interested: https://www.michaelwhelan.com/taking-flight/

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Your covers are amazing. I was wondering if you have a favourite one , and if you would share that?

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Among my favorite covers would be Shonto's Garden, Amazons, The White Dragon and The Summer Queen. Hard to narrow it down to one. There's too many to pick from!

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