runsforcelery wrote:fallsfromtrees wrote:Since when has conformance to the text ever bothered an artist in the throes of creativity when doing a book cover?Genkis wrote:When you create a cover you have several possibilities
- You can illustrate one specific scene
- try to (re)create the atmosphere of the novel (only if the illustrator read it, lots of us don't read books before they illustrate it because they don't have enough time,)
- or make something completly free in order o make something cool even if it doesn't represent the story(many covers are done this way)
I choose to make a mix between the two first option. I always read the book (except 2 or 3 novels when the deadline was too close). So I take an important scene, or two, I make a mix between them. And I try to show the atmosphere of the book. I won't draw a kiss between two characters if it's a story about an epic battle for examplefallsfromtrees wrote:My apologies if you took my humorous jest as a denigration of your work. You are clearly an artist of great talent, and I find your work exceptional. It is just that I seen all too many book covers where the artist clearly used option 3.
Again, my apologies if I have offended you.
I've worked with artists for the better part of fifty years. A lot of that was when I was doing PR and advertising, and I figured out early on that if you put too many constraints on the artist — if the artist gets too bogged down in trying to give you exactly the illustration you've described — then he's not doing what you hired him to do: his best work.
Books are collaborations between the writer and the reader. Every single person out there visualizes Honor Harrington differently from the way that I do, and every single one of you has your own visualization of what a starship looks like, or a pulser, or any one of a hundred other things that are routinely described in the books. Artists are no different in that respect, but they are charged with creating a physical image of what they visualize, and of doing it in a way which will be effective. Usually that means being aesthetically pleasing, but not always. Sometimes effective is accomplished by being jarring, by making someone look twice or even three times while they try to figure out what's going on.
David Mattingly is one of my favorite artists. I personally think that the cover for Uncompromising Honor is one of the best he's done, and he is always extraordinarily careful about uniform details, whether Honor is being a Manty or a Grayson this week, exactly what's going on in a particular scene. I'm always delighted to answer his questions, but I believe that I have ever told him "and this is the way you should do it," because what he does is something that I can't.
The same is true of Genkis. I really like almost all of the US market Honorverse covers, especially after David came in and restored order!But I like the European covers, too, and it's always fascinating to see a different take on the stories. I can't remember a French cover that I disliked, and many of them I have liked every bit as much as any of the US covers. In particular, I really like the cover Genkis has done for Service of the Sword. It's not how the scene actually played out, but it is exactly the way the scene would have played out if Michael Oversteegen had come back for them.
Just thought I'd throw in my two cents worth (which, of course, is worth only 1.8 euro cents!)
Well, I'm glad that you like my stuff. Sharon told me that you like it but it's a pleasure to read your message
It's an Honor.
Each time I try to create a picture that won't betray your universe/characters + creating a strong atmosphere + no spoil + add small details in the illustration for fans
It's always a challenge but I receive good advices from three of your huge fans. Like that I can respect the ranks and insignias (most of the time, I did several mistakes at the beginning though).
I had a lot of pleasure with "service of the sword". It's always thrilling to draw epic battle scenes, last man standing scenes... When you have "true heroes" like that, you try to magnify them as much as possible like Leonidas, Arthur, Boromir...
You're right that it's a kind of collaboration between the writer, the illustrator, the readers... Even if it seems to be a passive collaboration, something on the long run but it's real. I read your words, I listen their advices and feelings about what I did, I digest everything and I keep it in mind when I start the next one...
A fascinating journey
