Speaking also as a woman, I chose #3 hands down. It provokes the most questions in a viewer (who is this viking guy? What is his relationship to the woman? What tense battle are we about to witness?) and has the most "story" to it. Plus I feel like one can't help but vicariously step into the action with his tense pose, it gives a kind of first-person videogame effect.
The yellow and purple contrast, landscapes a book cover that must be it's own story. The warrior seems too fleshy and beefy. Sorry, Michael, that's a bit harsh. You are wonderful.
#3 for sure. That's the one I would pick up off the shelf and buy, just to find out what's going on. Maybe it's also because I have followed Michael's art, both on book covers and his web site, since the mid 60's. I bought his unforgettable picture of Elric, Stormbringer as a signed numbered print at a NESFA con in Boston, Mass. He was actually there in person!
This was fun! I was in the minority in choosing what the art director picked #2. I think the deciding factor for me vs. #3(and maybe for the art director) is that so much of the composition was taken up by the back of the figure, and for me, the circle of the coil visually heightens the focus on his back vs. focusing on the threat of the snake.
Also, I've found that contrast always outweighs focus vs. lines of focus or color, especially in small images (like a paperback cover), and the warrior's back is the brightest area, surrounded by a dark ring. I didn't even notice the sorceress until I read the breakdown in the article. I'm sure if Michael had taken this to finish, though, it would be great, and that wouldn't have been an issue. The point of the article is still very true - Be prepared for the client to pick the composition you think is weakest! (But also, maybe try to figure out why they picked that one and see if you can tweak the composition you know is stronger.)
I've always thought I had a good "eye", and I agreed with you prior to knowing your choice. Kelly Freas once told me that he never gave a bad comp to an art director, because they were sure to pick that one for the final cover.
I picked 1, with 4 as runner-up. So MANY books have a warrior-dude that I deliberately did not want him in the picture (have not read the book, though). I like the movement in 1 and 4, and prefer the color of 1.
I also picked #2, for much the reasons that Greg said. I also like the pop of yellow against purple, where the other concepts are more monochrome. In all honesty I find the composition of #3 to be a little overly crowded and busy.
I chose 4, but they're all lovely. 3 is beautiful, but I haven't read the book. As Heiko said: is she summoning the creature, or trying to warn the warrior away.
I liked the ones where the serpent is looking forward. Don't know the book so I agree with others that I don't know who the characters are and their relative significance, so I picked 1 as a fairly clean view of both serpent and sorceress. But I see your point regarding 3.
There’s something about the serpent coming at the reader that raises the stakes. I’m generally not a fan of POV behind the character but when done with the right intent it can work.
I actually spent a long time looking at each option because they were all pretty strong but for different reasons.
The story in 1 and 4 really speaks to the woman's connection to the creature. She's reaching toward it to make some kind of connection which really tells us that it is a creature than can be reasoned with and that her relationship to it may be more complex than the terror, fear, awe this type of creature usually invokes.
If anything, the only thing I liked in composition 2 was the wonderful orange sunset. I really wanted to see that brought into composition 1 because as much as I loved the feeling of it, blue for everything felt a bit flat for a book cover, whose main purpose should be to attract the eye.
After a long deliberation I settled on #3. I do still think that #2 is the weakest of the four compositions, but honestly the final painting is still so lovely. It really speaks to your skills to take a middling composition and still make it feel evocative and energetic.
In #3, I think the extra addition of the figure in front add an extra narrative element and brings a lot of ambiguity to what is happening in the image. The stories feel pretty clear in 1, 2, and 4, and if a read wants that story they'll pick up the book. But 3 really has a "what is happening here" feeling. Is the woman seeking rescue? is she summoning the creature? or trying to warn the warrior away?
Those are the kinds of questions that make you have to open up the pages and look within.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I believe the ambiguity is true to the story. Once summoned, the sea serpent becomes a curse for all not just the viking invaders it was aimed at. That’s probably why #3 felt more inspired and prompted my question of Michael.
Glad you enjoyed being drawn into the process. I’ve always found it fascinating imagining how I would sort through the ideas Michael presents for a cover and what goes into getting the best work from him.
I picked 2, not knowing anything about the content, because it was ambiguous; it was either the sorceress against the snake, or it was the sorceress controlling the snake. Question covers are good covers. 3 is the best composition, but it is the only one that features the barbarian, and it foregrounds the barbarian completely. If the sorceress is the main character (as implied by the other three not including any other character), then focusing on the barbarian is inappropriate. If I knew the content of the book, I might have made a different decision.
I would also make a terrible art director, because I don't know art theory, and can't judge on technical merit.
That’s a good assumption based on the concepts. She summons the serpent in response to a viking invasion but it clearly isn’t under her control. The story is based on Irish legend.
Speaking also as a woman, I chose #3 hands down. It provokes the most questions in a viewer (who is this viking guy? What is his relationship to the woman? What tense battle are we about to witness?) and has the most "story" to it. Plus I feel like one can't help but vicariously step into the action with his tense pose, it gives a kind of first-person videogame effect.
The yellow and purple contrast, landscapes a book cover that must be it's own story. The warrior seems too fleshy and beefy. Sorry, Michael, that's a bit harsh. You are wonderful.
As a woman I would never pick up a book with a cover that puts some warrior’s butt as the focal point. I picked #1 with #2 as a close second choice.
Heheh. I'm not a woman, but I think your point factored into my choice, too!
#3 for sure. That's the one I would pick up off the shelf and buy, just to find out what's going on. Maybe it's also because I have followed Michael's art, both on book covers and his web site, since the mid 60's. I bought his unforgettable picture of Elric, Stormbringer as a signed numbered print at a NESFA con in Boston, Mass. He was actually there in person!
This was fun! I was in the minority in choosing what the art director picked #2. I think the deciding factor for me vs. #3(and maybe for the art director) is that so much of the composition was taken up by the back of the figure, and for me, the circle of the coil visually heightens the focus on his back vs. focusing on the threat of the snake.
That’s a valid criticism of the concept and possibly why we got so much finishing detail from Michael on #3.
Also, I've found that contrast always outweighs focus vs. lines of focus or color, especially in small images (like a paperback cover), and the warrior's back is the brightest area, surrounded by a dark ring. I didn't even notice the sorceress until I read the breakdown in the article. I'm sure if Michael had taken this to finish, though, it would be great, and that wouldn't have been an issue. The point of the article is still very true - Be prepared for the client to pick the composition you think is weakest! (But also, maybe try to figure out why they picked that one and see if you can tweak the composition you know is stronger.)
I've always thought I had a good "eye", and I agreed with you prior to knowing your choice. Kelly Freas once told me that he never gave a bad comp to an art director, because they were sure to pick that one for the final cover.
I picked 1, with 4 as runner-up. So MANY books have a warrior-dude that I deliberately did not want him in the picture (have not read the book, though). I like the movement in 1 and 4, and prefer the color of 1.
Plus Alicia Austin illustrations inside!
I picked #1, but only because it's not clear the relationship between the serpent and the woman.
I also picked #2, for much the reasons that Greg said. I also like the pop of yellow against purple, where the other concepts are more monochrome. In all honesty I find the composition of #3 to be a little overly crowded and busy.
I chose 4, but they're all lovely. 3 is beautiful, but I haven't read the book. As Heiko said: is she summoning the creature, or trying to warn the warrior away.
#4 would have been my second choice. It has a wild energy to it that rings true to the story.
I liked the ones where the serpent is looking forward. Don't know the book so I agree with others that I don't know who the characters are and their relative significance, so I picked 1 as a fairly clean view of both serpent and sorceress. But I see your point regarding 3.
There’s something about the serpent coming at the reader that raises the stakes. I’m generally not a fan of POV behind the character but when done with the right intent it can work.
I really liked this exercise.
I actually spent a long time looking at each option because they were all pretty strong but for different reasons.
The story in 1 and 4 really speaks to the woman's connection to the creature. She's reaching toward it to make some kind of connection which really tells us that it is a creature than can be reasoned with and that her relationship to it may be more complex than the terror, fear, awe this type of creature usually invokes.
If anything, the only thing I liked in composition 2 was the wonderful orange sunset. I really wanted to see that brought into composition 1 because as much as I loved the feeling of it, blue for everything felt a bit flat for a book cover, whose main purpose should be to attract the eye.
After a long deliberation I settled on #3. I do still think that #2 is the weakest of the four compositions, but honestly the final painting is still so lovely. It really speaks to your skills to take a middling composition and still make it feel evocative and energetic.
In #3, I think the extra addition of the figure in front add an extra narrative element and brings a lot of ambiguity to what is happening in the image. The stories feel pretty clear in 1, 2, and 4, and if a read wants that story they'll pick up the book. But 3 really has a "what is happening here" feeling. Is the woman seeking rescue? is she summoning the creature? or trying to warn the warrior away?
Those are the kinds of questions that make you have to open up the pages and look within.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. I believe the ambiguity is true to the story. Once summoned, the sea serpent becomes a curse for all not just the viking invaders it was aimed at. That’s probably why #3 felt more inspired and prompted my question of Michael.
Glad you enjoyed being drawn into the process. I’ve always found it fascinating imagining how I would sort through the ideas Michael presents for a cover and what goes into getting the best work from him.
I picked 2, not knowing anything about the content, because it was ambiguous; it was either the sorceress against the snake, or it was the sorceress controlling the snake. Question covers are good covers. 3 is the best composition, but it is the only one that features the barbarian, and it foregrounds the barbarian completely. If the sorceress is the main character (as implied by the other three not including any other character), then focusing on the barbarian is inappropriate. If I knew the content of the book, I might have made a different decision.
I would also make a terrible art director, because I don't know art theory, and can't judge on technical merit.
That’s a good assumption based on the concepts. She summons the serpent in response to a viking invasion but it clearly isn’t under her control. The story is based on Irish legend.
I like #3, probably because I felt it was the most dynamic, the most active.
Dear friends, thank you for asking the audience.
I have great respect for creativity.
Let me say that I did not like all 4 options, I think they are all in the state of draft concepts and unworthy of finalizing.