Book Cover Design - Blog Posts

Reluctant Jamette- Cover Art Front and Back

Art post #1 || Art post #2 || Here || Art post #4

This was part of my final assignment for the writing course I took in 2022.

The project was a book framework where we did a basic outline for a story. We had to outline a whole book, from the copyright page to acknowledgements and all.

It was quite helpful actually! I would have never thought to do something like that in the planning stages.

This was for my potential novel-length story called 'Reluctant Jamette'. It's about a young woman unwillingly given these demonic powers around the same time her part of the country is being attacked by these spirits called jumbies.

She and a sort of friend are trying to figure out how to get rid of the powers and end up uncovering their sinister origins.

WhOooOOOoOoOo!

Read the summary of my potential story below:

‘Shrouded in black and clownish adornment 

Her new normal she found abhorrent 

Pulled away from her mundane life 

She is forced to battle with demons that were not hers to fight’

Jumbies, mischievous and malevolent spirits have been plaguing East Trinidad for months and Twenty-three-year-old Tamika Ramsahai was the one chosen by a mysterious power to unwillingly defend against their attacks.

Not interested in protecting a public that scorns her at every turn, Tamika’s goal is to find a way to get rid of the powers once and for all. 

Through battling jumbies that carry cryptic messages and her co-worker who knows a little too much about her situation for her own good, Tamika starts to realise that these powers may have a darker intent behind them.

Reluctant Jamette- Book Cover Design 2

Art post #1 || Here || Art post #3 || Art post #4

These were the final sketches that I used for my cover design. I did the split-down-the-middle thing to represent how Tamika is mentally separated from these powers that she doesn't want.

The last two sketches show her and Jamette facing each other. I can't quite remember what I had in mind when I came up with this (this is why you take notes!) but I think it was just the continuation of them being separate from each other. I do have plans for the 'Jamette' in her to start fighting against her will.

Reluctant Jamette- Book Cover Design 1

Here || Art post #2 || Art post #3 || Art post #4

These were the ideas I sketched for my final assignment. I decided on another minimalist cover with bright colours. I went for that half-and-half theme. The character sees herself and her alter ego as two separate things, as she didn't choose this for herself.

I played around with shackles and playing card themes as well, seeing as she's being toyed with by demons. She feels trapped despite seemingly having more freedom behind this dark face.

The clownish idea came from the Youtuber Understanding Conspiracy and his popular theory of 'The Nephilim Look Like Clowns'.

I borrowed the idea of the clown nephilim in their bright colours and mesmerising patterns and combined it with a character called a Jab Jab from my country's culture.

Not Another Paranormal Romance-Artwork 5

You can read my short story 'Not Another Paranormal Romance' here:

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Fictionpress

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The first sketch is what gave me the idea for the name of this story, though I may change the name in the future as I'm not sure if the fake romance will be a large part of this story.

What better way for a demon to mess with a teenage girl than to 'fall in love' with her? This time, SHE doesn't fall for it. She KNOWS he's a creature of darkness and is immune to his charm.

The last two are more cover art ideas. I wanted to add Noah to the possible cover and keeping with the idea of it looking like a cute romance cover, I made it look as if she has to choose between the boys (well, the one boy and the demon pretending to be a boy)

The boys mirror each other for that balanced look and to show off their intentions. Noah has a Bible and Cyrus has a deformed heart. Gabriella's pose is a work-in-progress. I'm not sure yet how she's going to stand.

Art post #1 || Art post #2 || Art post #3 || Art post #4 ||

Here || Art post #6

An Angel Passing Through Cover Art

Read my short story here:

Archive Of Our Own

Fictionpress

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Oil Spill Photo: Photo by Daniel Olah on Unsplash

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Read the rest below:

This story was part of my final assignment for the creative writing course that I took in 2022. For a smaller assignment, I had to design a cover for my story. This is what I came up with.

I wanted to try a minimalist cover that was more symbolic instead of too on the nose. It features the silhouette of the main character, fourteen-year-old Claire Baptiste. She's crying tears that fade into an oil spill rainbow (read the story to find out what that is). That's to hint at what she's witnessing. The thing above her head is a neuron cell. These are the cells that send and receive signals from our brains. It is supposed to vaguely resemble a halo (hinting back to the name of the story) and also hints at her mind being tampered with.

I love the font I found for it. It's called Vallium. I was thinking along the lines of delicate and shaky. Seeing as the cover was solid, it would be easy to see a font like that.

It's quite funny that I was drawn to a minimalist design when I'm an artist that loves pattern and detail.

My final piece for my first project at uni, which is a book cover for a story of a girl, on the left, moving on from her dystopian reality to a peaceful, natural world.