thunderbird: illustrated.

A few weeks ago I was asked to give a presentation on how I do my job. After I gave a rather lack luster Power Point presentation, there were questions from those who attended.

Q: Where do your ideas come from and how do they evolve?
A: Like most things in my life, I make it up as I go along. I trust who I work with and hope for the best.

Lucky for me I make friends easily.

While I am still working on the most effective process, I had a great time with one of Winter 2014's lead titles. In what proves to be a team effort on how a cover is designed: An illustrated evolution of Kelley Armstrong's upcoming book, SEA OF SHADOWS.

Summary:

Twin sisters Moria and Ashyn were marked at birth to become the Keeper and the Seeker of Edgewood beginning with their sixteenth birthday. Trained in fighting and in the secret rites of the spirits, they lead an annual trip into the Forest of the Dead, where the veil between the living world and the beyond is thinnest, and pay respect to the spirits who have passed. 

Idea #1: Well we have to have a forest.

Forest inspirations

Idea #2: What if one of the animals from the story emerged from that forest, like an icon?

Icon inspirations

Idea #3: Let's make this animal icon out of leaves . . . Who can do that?

Rhythm and Hughes has a bottomless bucket of talent. After a few rounds of sketches, notes from the author of what a thunderbird looks like, and we land on this:

Rhythm and Hughes gives us the Thunderbird

Idea #4: Type treatment should look grown up, I would love for an adult to want to pick this novel up.

Type treatments

Smack 'em all together:

Sea of Shadows goes on sale this April

A sweet paper fort and PANIC cover reveal

You guys! Check out this sweet fort I built out of last season's interior passes/back up. There are 17 books in these stacks, all of which are headed to the recycling bin. Oh joyous day to clean out a cubicle! (PS I'm kneeling on a chair.)

Summer 2013 Fort 

Yesterday was also the big cover reveal for Lauren Oliver's new book, PANIC. I've been waiting so long for this reveal I almost missed it! When a co worker came over to say that someone had mentioned it on Twitter I—erm—panicked. I thought I had accidentally uploaded it and the whole shebang was ruined! When I realized the reveal had happened and I didn't muck it all up, I relaxed and laughed at this tweet. It reminded me of how awesome my job can be and how happy I am that other readers like to geek out about books.

It is awesome @oopsireaditagain (aka best Twitter handle ever)! And I think you for reminding me when I'm swimming in paper forts. 

Lauren Oliver's PANIC (which is really, really good) comes out in March. As I'm the designer I already have a copy, suckers. ;)

Specs: Crown foil 420 (silver) on title treatment. Gritty Matte/Spot UV. 

 

Who likes space pirates! We do! We Do!

Last winter when my Art Director told me one of my bigger titles of the Winter 2014 season would be about space fighting pirates, I naturally almost peed a little. Who in their right mind wouldn't want this?! And why hasn't it been done before? (Space Cowboys* a close why did this take so long second)

It seems weird that the initial conversation about Jupiter Pirates took place so long ago. It was a no brainer picking out the right illustrator—the super fun Tom Lintern. The logo however wasn't as flawless. Getting the right amount of pointy awesome and readability took quite a lot of revamps. But I couldn't be happier with the result. 

Ta-Da! Jupiter Pirates:

Yea it's totally awesome.

There are still a few more big books on the winter list that aren't ok to put on the Internets yet. I hope those are fair game to share soon—there were a lot of cool cats this winter list. Say! Here's some more. Handlettering done by the oh so talented Joel Holland—a real stand up guy if I do say so myself.

Book 1 of a 2 part series (redesign of the hardcover)

And the sequel

Even though there's still more Winter books to come, let's enjoy our real life (and personal favorite) season, SUMMER! 

Who wants to go play and read outside? 

* Please note I never did see this film but still have every intention of being disappointed.