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3rd Thursday November - Book Cover - Edgar Allan Poe


NancyGormezano

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This months prompt: Make a book jacket (cover) that will be used for a volume of Edgar Allan Poe Stories.

 

So I started with rendering from A:M an image or 2 of the crow model (from Scarecrow of Oz) - and then I proceeded to work up a variety of concepts (in photoshop) - the last image is probably what I will go with. But I might try doing at least one more concept - different altogether, more childlike, and probably including a cat.

ICKYPOEredlettersVariationWEB.jpg

third3WEB.jpg

2Ravensver5paintWEB.jpg

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Very impressive Nancy.

 

The accompanying text is a bit hard to read, specifically the word 'when' which is hidden under the raven's talons.

Perhaps If there were a specific reason to obscure the word other than EAP's general appeal to insanity (i.e. for no particular reason)...

 

I can't help but think you'll get recommendations to change the white raven to black but there is something very interesting/alluring/enchanting about the white raven esp. given the dead raven below on the ground.

 

I would expect to see something like this in a bookshop.

 

Added: I'm a bit torn here... so I'll add it because it came to mind.

The white raven's eye looking out at the reader is interesting but I wonder if you could 'trap' the reader into the image by having the white raven looking at the black/dead raven who is pointing to the right. Then something on the right pushing attention back to the head/eye of the raven (you pretty much get this already with the reading of the author's name across the bottom then the connection with the white raven's wing position at the right... and of course the background arc). Very nice. Perhaps if the wing could extend downward more that would seal the deal as well as create an additional sense of depth, as if the raven is truly hovering over/around the deceased.

 

Odd thought (related to the prompt): With that trapping of the reader in the image (something the text temporarily accomplishes) you might then be able to try an alternate version where you drop the text entirely and insert somewhere appropriately inside the general framework the title "Volume I"

 

Very nice!

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The accompanying text is a bit hard to read, specifically the word 'when' which is hidden under the raven's talons.

Perhaps If there were a specific reason to obscure the word other than EAP's general appeal to insanity (i.e. for no particular reason)...

 

I can't help but think you'll get recommendations to change the white raven to black but there is something very interesting/alluring/enchanting about the white raven esp. given the dead raven below on the ground.

 

I would expect to see something like this in a bookshop.

 

Added: I'm a bit torn here... so I'll add it because it came to mind.

The white raven's eye looking out at the reader is interesting but I wonder if you could 'trap' the reader into the image by having the white raven looking at the black/dead raven who is pointing to the right. Then something on the right pushing attention back to the head/eye of the raven (you pretty much get this already with the reading of the author's name across the bottom then the connection with the white raven's wing position at the right).

Thanks for the feedback Rodney. I did debate with myself if it was ok to hide the "when". I have more of a fine art leaning rather than illustration, so mostly I tend to not want to be so "readable". But illustration is a different game. But I thought it had enough letters showing so that most could fill it in.

 

I made the raven white, hoping that it would suggest a ghostly spirit of the dead raven.

 

Hmmm..I'll have to think about the eye...not sure what emotion I was trying to get from this...at first I thought I wanted "worry", then sadness or "here we go again" ...Now I realize I'm not sure what I was trying to say with white raven expression.. "crazy" might be better...or...

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I've attached the crow model from Scarecrow of Oz - seems a pity not to have these Hash Movie models be available for everyone.

 

Original model by Colin Freeman. Not sure if it was modified by Holmes Bryant for variations. Beautiful model, beautiful job. If anyone thinks this is a problem...too bad. :P

Crow1.zip

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I wonder if maybe a crow is too-often used with Poe?

Yes indeedy it is. Iconic and ubiquitous. And so are portraits of Poe, as well as cats, and houses, and anthropomorphic trees. Soon also to be appearing in a future composite of mine maybe. Perhaps a book cover needs to be (use to needs to be?) instantly recognizable as to the author when it is a collection?

 

I'm rusty with my drawing, photoshop, painter skills. Struggling with getting back into the groove, rather than coming up with more imaginative concepts, more dynamic compositions, more interesting points of view. Much stuff, skills for me to learn, and polish. These illustrations are dive right in, stream of consciousness, experimenting, with not much thinking, filtering or planning involved.

 

However, I've yet to see a white ghost raven or a dead raven. Maybe I just didn't google deep enough.

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Thanks John.

 

hee hee - on another thread about SSAO, I decided to hand color a SSAO render (ver18n) - I expect I will be doing this more frequently for illustration purposes and maybe even for making folded paper doll models in A:M. (Will not be using this image for this months prompt)

whitchssaopainterWEB.jpg

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