Cover Help

albone · 03-31-2008, 08:02 PM

I'm doing up the cover to my collected webcomic, the first issue of Rival Angels. With this version, I'm making it look a bit like a magazine, but that being said, I'm thinking it looks a tad flat.

So, I thought I'd get some ideas from youse guys to see what I can do to punch it up.

Thanks for your help!

Saul Haber · 03-31-2008, 08:17 PM

I think the background could use a lot more pizzaz. Gray is really pretty muted. I would try and give the effect of spotlights on the arena via the colors. Like dark in some places and sparkly in others- making you feel as if you were really at a big fight night. I wouldn't be able to pull it off, myself, but maybe you can. I think it would look cool.
Also, I would maybe pick a more magazine-looking font for the text at the bottom.

GRIMSCRIBE · 03-31-2008, 08:32 PM

General rule of art, never having something behind a figure's head that might
look like it growing out of that head. In this case, your perspective isn't all
that good and the girl on the canvas looks like a growth shooting out of the other girl's head. Ouch. Not good. You need to add some dept (shadows
perhaps?) to delineated dept from the fore and backgrounds.
Ron

sevans · 03-31-2008, 08:58 PM

The yellow text is too close in tone to the warm orange skin tones.

Rival Angels would probably look better and stand out more on a box of solid colour - a banner right across the top. If you put the blonde girls head infront of the box, it also implies/adds depth.

Plus if you add a banner, you could remove the background girl, who is badly positioned and looks really unfinished (when compared to the rest). She is really needed as the pose and ref easily imply that a fight was just held.

Mowgli · 04-01-2008, 07:20 AM

I think her hair color and her skin tone are too similar. Changing those up a bit would seperate them better. I also think darkening the shadows on the ground would anchor them to a floor a lot better. Maybe some floor texture or a design painted on the ring floor as well to better establish it as the floor.

Just a few ideas. Best of luck!

albone · 04-01-2008, 11:07 AM

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, they were an eye opener and helped out immensely. So, taking into account these suggestions here is what I came up with:

Eva1 · 04-01-2008, 11:47 AM

It is definitely improved.

Her skin is SO orange though... she looks like a carrot.

xaltair · 04-01-2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eva1

It is definitely improved.

Her skin is SO orange though... she looks like a carrot.

But what a tasty carrot.

The skin colour needs change, also the smaller text under the main headline should have a different font, instead of the same one but smaller.

GRIMSCRIBE · 04-01-2008, 01:34 PM

Much, much better. You truly are working at this. I'm still not all that happy
with anything touching her head, if you could work that logo up a bit away
from it. Still this is a marked improvement. Bravo.
Ron

albone · 04-01-2008, 02:10 PM

Yeah, the orange thing is being a nuisance, the color profile isn't getting attached so it's looking kind of nutty. That being said, I may have to go in and do a little touch up where the hair meets the skin.

The logo behind her head was added to show some depth, but if it looks truly wonky, I can fix it up.

In school, it was taught that it was a no-no to do to many different fonts, but if anyone thinks that I should do that with the copy, please suggest a nice looking font.

Anywho, V.3 :

Saul Haber · 04-01-2008, 05:34 PM

Ok- Big improvements on that last one. The background is looking a lot better and the layout is coming together.
But why the tiny font? You lose the whole magazine cover feel this way. Also, was her hair darker in the second one? If so, I liked the darker hair better. It popped more.

sevans · 04-01-2008, 07:58 PM

Overall alot better, but the blue text still needs some tweaking. Not really sure about the font either - I'm thinking something plainer like Myriad or Tahoma would be clearer, crisper and easier to read (but those are MY preferences).

03-31-2008, 08:02 PM	#1
albone Jabbroni Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 1,256	Cover Help I'm doing up the cover to my collected webcomic, the first issue of Rival Angels. With this version, I'm making it look a bit like a magazine, but that being said, I'm thinking it looks a tad flat. So, I thought I'd get some ideas from youse guys to see what I can do to punch it up. Thanks for your help!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

03-31-2008, 08:17 PM	#2
Saul Haber Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,581	I think the background could use a lot more pizzaz. Gray is really pretty muted. I would try and give the effect of spotlights on the arena via the colors. Like dark in some places and sparkly in others- making you feel as if you were really at a big fight night. I wouldn't be able to pull it off, myself, but maybe you can. I think it would look cool. Also, I would maybe pick a more magazine-looking font for the text at the bottom.

03-31-2008, 08:32 PM	#3
GRIMSCRIBE Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,997	General rule of art, never having something behind a figure's head that might look like it growing out of that head. In this case, your perspective isn't all that good and the girl on the canvas looks like a growth shooting out of the other girl's head. Ouch. Not good. You need to add some dept (shadows perhaps?) to delineated dept from the fore and backgrounds. Ron

03-31-2008, 08:58 PM	#4
sevans www.sevans.co.nz Join Date: May 2004 Location: behind you ...... MotherF**KER! Posts: 4,525	The yellow text is too close in tone to the warm orange skin tones. Rival Angels would probably look better and stand out more on a box of solid colour - a banner right across the top. If you put the blonde girls head infront of the box, it also implies/adds depth. Plus if you add a banner, you could remove the background girl, who is badly positioned and looks really unfinished (when compared to the rest). She is really needed as the pose and ref easily imply that a fight was just held.

04-01-2008, 07:20 AM	#5
Mowgli Man-Cub Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The Jungle Posts: 219	I think her hair color and her skin tone are too similar. Changing those up a bit would seperate them better. I also think darkening the shadows on the ground would anchor them to a floor a lot better. Maybe some floor texture or a design painted on the ring floor as well to better establish it as the floor. Just a few ideas. Best of luck!

04-01-2008, 11:07 AM	#6
albone Jabbroni Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 1,256	Thank you everyone for your suggestions, they were an eye opener and helped out immensely. So, taking into account these suggestions here is what I came up with:

04-01-2008, 11:47 AM	#7
Eva1 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 313	It is definitely improved. Her skin is SO orange though... she looks like a carrot.

04-01-2008, 01:34 PM	#9
GRIMSCRIBE Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,997	Much, much better. You truly are working at this. I'm still not all that happy with anything touching her head, if you could work that logo up a bit away from it. Still this is a marked improvement. Bravo. Ron

04-01-2008, 02:10 PM	#10
albone Jabbroni Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 1,256	Yeah, the orange thing is being a nuisance, the color profile isn't getting attached so it's looking kind of nutty. That being said, I may have to go in and do a little touch up where the hair meets the skin. The logo behind her head was added to show some depth, but if it looks truly wonky, I can fix it up. In school, it was taught that it was a no-no to do to many different fonts, but if anyone thinks that I should do that with the copy, please suggest a nice looking font. Anywho, V.3 :

04-01-2008, 05:34 PM	#11
Saul Haber Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,581	Ok- Big improvements on that last one. The background is looking a lot better and the layout is coming together. But why the tiny font? You lose the whole magazine cover feel this way. Also, was her hair darker in the second one? If so, I liked the darker hair better. It popped more.

04-01-2008, 07:58 PM	#12
sevans www.sevans.co.nz Join Date: May 2004 Location: behind you ...... MotherF**KER! Posts: 4,525	Overall alot better, but the blue text still needs some tweaking. Not really sure about the font either - I'm thinking something plainer like Myriad or Tahoma would be clearer, crisper and easier to read (but those are MY preferences).