So, I’ve been spending some time thinking about cover art.

I know this is a frivolous thing to do, especially with everything going on in the world right now. But I also want to spend time appreciating what we have right now, in this community. It is a fragile thing, and precious.

Anyhow: cover art. I didn’t know how to do any sort of art when I started posting here, and my first cover didn’t happen until I’d already turned out 300,000 words. I’ve been going back and doing covers for some of my older stories, and that’s been an artistic outlet when my slut of a writing muse left me alone at the bar while she wrapped her limbs around some other author.

The exercise made me think about BC and Doppler cover art, what I thought was effective, and why. I thought it would be fun to talk about it, and harvest some ideas from other folks here, both writers and readers.

So first, here (in no particular order), is some of the cover art that’s caught my eye:

One of Erin/Joyce’s many great covers. No background; almost a line drawing look with only a few areas of color. The minimalist look serves to focus attention on the character’s elfin features (note how pointy the chin appears) and oversized eyes. I associate this look with anime. The title uses a bold font in red that matches the red of the headscarf, and is easy to read.

Melanie’s cover brings you right into the story – the kid is just too damned adorable. The big smile, the apple cheeks, the mussed blonde locks. Here, by using a nice light blue for both the sweater and the background sky, the eye is immediately drawn to the face. The general look is of an oil painting, done in a linear style, as an illustration for a book that might be in the “Teens and Young Adults” section of Barnes & Noble (but don’t tell the censors!).

This is a stunning cover, again featuring a linear oil painting style. Look at the richness of the colors – the sunset sky that goes from deeper blue in the upper left to lighter by the sun-drenched clouds, and the golds and reds and turquoise of the main character’s clothes. Do you think the MC might be royalty? Well of course you do! And the castle in the background lets you know that. The subtle inclusion of the head of a large, friendly reptile in the bottom left also cues the reader in to the likelihood that this is pure fantasy and not historical fiction.

More of a watercolor style on this bright cover from Angharad’s Bike series. Lots of color, with the background dominated by an explosion of spring green, and pink blossoms in the middle background hinting at cherry trees. The play of sunshine and shadow is also eye-catching. Look at the highlights on Cathy’s left arm and thigh, and the shadows of the trees that liven up what would otherwise be boring pavement. It's a very pretty cover, and the look and feel of a bike ride in early spring is enticing.

I love this cover for Sara Keltaine’s The Last Perfect Day; there are so many subtle touches that elevate it. Notice how the trees in the background are blurred, to better highlight the foreground. And, the largest, blurriest tree essentially forms a halo around the main character’s head, which brings her face into sharper focus. The foreground image is very photorealistic, and everything from the casual clothes and posture to the setting connects immediately to long summer days, a baseball field, childhood . . . an image of perfection, indeed!

For this cover, Andrea Lena DiMaggio went with more of a “Dutch Master” style. The cover uses tenebrism to create a singular focus on the subject’s face, framed by long, dark hair and a background that is rich in antique tones – burnt gold, muted reds, browns and medium greens. The young woman’s image seems to provide numerous clues to her character – her posture, the slight incline of her head, her crossed hands, her solemn expression . . . Just looking at the cover, you know her.

I’ll be honest, this cover for Melanie Brown’s In Bloom is probably my favorite of all that I’ve seen. Bold, clear lines. Dramatic pop-art primary colors. The contrast of the highly photorealistic yellow rose to the more stylized facial depiction. The bright light on the woman’s face, with the shadows highlighting the line of her jaw and her prominent cheekbone. And, right in the center of the picture, the only use of eye-catching, deep-red on lips that are drawn (unlike most of the face) in careful detail. Note the subtle shadow under the lower lip, and the pronounced cupid’s bow. Finally, big, bold yellow font for the title, popping against the blue sky and white cloud. This is just outstanding cover art.

Here’s a classic! Shiraz Turvey’s cover for The Boat That Frocked is another one that brings you right into the story. The funky, off-beat colors immediately evoke the era of ships on the open sea determined to give the people back home what they wanted: the sound of rock and roll! Note, in particular, the blue lips, echoing the blue on the headphones and portions of both sea and sky. Very effective.

The winner for “Best Cover Art” in last year’s New Year’s writing contest, Jenny North’s pop-art cover for Beauty and the Beast is a tribute to classics of the genre. Oh, it’s busy – but that is entirely in keeping with “Ladylike Romance Stories!” The woman’s tears . . . the man’s visible angst . . . the thought bubbles . . . the teaser on “The Torment of True Love.” Goodness. Pony up the 12 cents, already, you know you gotta have this!

Rodford Edmiston’s covers, in contrast, have the look and feel of D.C. Comic’s original “Batman” covers (he kind of started out as the “Dark Knight.” After a bit of a detour, he went back to his roots). Look at how just a few strokes of white bring definition to the figure that appears all in black against a plain background, with only the blue cape showing as an accent color, sweeping down to accentuate the motion of the legs as the woman runs. The fonts, as well, echo the same comic book feel.

Sometimes, all you need is just the right photo, and the cover falls right into place.
 

This photo looks like something you might see on the cover of Vogue. The extremely tight focus centers the viewer on luminous blue eyes, full lips, and a cascade of red hair. The pose is seductive, without being remotely indecent. (Sure, you don’t see anything but skin . . . but you don’t see any skin you aren’t supposed to see, do you?). The large royal blue font stands out clearly against all of that highly appropriate and extremely perfect skin.

I was scrolling through covers and this one really caught me. The image and the text match exactly. The backlighting of the cheerleader is perfect, accentuating the flying form by avoiding the distractions of color and interior lines. The sole exception is the way that the sun turns her airborne hair into flame. The cover is simple, evocative, and effective.

We’ve all seen this cover, and when you see it, you can’t forget it. The plain white background avoids distraction, and all four hands simply direct the viewer to look at the shocked face of the woman who is staring straight out, dead center in the picture. Again, this takes the reader right into the action (the surgical gloves and hair cap . . . yep. You know this is a medical procedure). Just one look at the title and the cover, and you have a pretty good idea of the prime driver of the story!

I could have picked any of Maggie Finson’s excellent covers for her Heaven and Hell series. I like this one because of its effective use of tenebrism to center the attention. The background is dark, so the succubus’ platinum blonde hair, pale skin and deep red lips jump off the page (well, the screen, but you know what I mean).

Here’s another cover that tells a story. A beautiful setting, a radiant young woman, and damn, just look at that dress – it’s sumptuous! If you are selling “change” as a concept, it’s fair to say that this might just be the change many readers are looking for! In short . . . smart way to sell books, Maryanne!

Anywho . . . That’s my data dump. What do folks think? Does cover art matter? What makes good cover art? What programs and techniques are authors using to make their covers? And, what are some of your favorites?