Graphics, E T C

S E M I - T U T O R I A L: illustrated cover.

I've actually been thinking quite a lot about the second draft of "Three and a Half Good Legs". 

So I decided to make a new cover.

Having greatly enjoyed the illustration style I did for my entry to the new years contest, I aimed to do another such cover.

I wasn't really able to make a full tutorial for these types of covers (sorry trivialpotter :( ) because there is a lot that I really can't explain. It's more about choosing the colors to fit your own aesthetic and then painting in a style you like. 

But these are the basic starting steps for the illustration type cover:

1. Choose an image you want to 'illustrate'.

I started with this one, which I found on Pinterest:

2. Having added this image to your blank, white canvas (512x800 for Wattpad size), lower the opacity of the image layer until you can see to trace over it loosely with a simple, round brush in black or whatever color you want to illustrate with.

The drawing part should be in a new layer above the image layer, as shown. The image layer will eventually be hidden, so the drawing MUST be in a separate layer to be seen later.

This is kind of how the tracing looks. I changed the image to sort of fit more of what I was trying to go for. 

3. Now hide your image layer so you're left with your tracing.

At this point, you add new layers on 'multiply' to color over your lineart. Choose a color scheme that you want to use; I like to use mainly different shades of one color for a theme, but you can color more variably (?) as well. You can also add shading over your block colors by adding another layer on multiply over your base covers. I can't really explain the coloring process, because my coloring process is verrrrrrrry unrefined at the moment haha. It's all over the place and there isn't yet a method to my madness; there is just a lot of experimenting.

As for the font, I typed my author name and such, but the title text was handwritten, which I like for these 'illustrated' covers.

Anyways, I'm not perfectly happy with this cover. I'll probably edit some things in the future (I want to figure out how to add a brick texture to the wall they're sitting on, but still keep it looking 'illustrated'), but for now, here we are.

I'm not very good at painting, hence, this cover. 

UPDATE: