I like Single Fighter V2 the best. Though, I'd personally move the fighter down a smidgen so that the title and logo aren't covering it quite as much. Some overlap is good, but you don't want to obscure it.
I like v3 the best out of all of those. Might work better if the fighter was a bit smaller coming in from the top of the image slightly over the letters of SPIRAL WAR and leaving IN DEATH'S SHADOW untouched. Just an idea to make the skull pop a bit more.
Update of the single fighter version. I pulled it down lower. I want to the skull to remain a background feature not the most prominent part. Also because it was suggested to try reversing the logo I thought I would try that. I think I prefer it the original way. Thoughts?
logo reversed
Since the eye tends to view text and imagery from left to right (at least in Western educated cultures), having the fighter logo reversed is discordant and jarring. The words go one way, the logo the other.
I think this is the layout I will go with, I rerendered the fighter as well, just have to go clean up the characters a bit, redo some highlights and shadows.
Personally i think the single fighter looked better when it was angled down(v1). Whichever image you prefer though (that seems to be the one's based on v2) i would suggest brightening the fighter and making it a colour other than blue, it is a bit too similar in colour to the background behind, white, grey or perhaps using red might give a better result.
There's too many focal points. Everything is fighting with each other for the primary focus of the composition making it chaotic and hard on the eyes.
I don't know anything about the story, but I would imagine that covers should have important elements on them pertinent to the story, so I guess the space marines and the fighter are important.
Why is there a skull in the background?
Why does the fighter have to be there? Why does it have to be so big? Is it important?
Why are the space marines in the foreground? If they are the primary characters then how come the fighter and skull are all competing for attention??
The pattern of the composition is too flat and, in my opinion, too boring. It doesn't engage me at all. Just like an illustration, a cover of a book should take your eye on a tour.
You want your cover to be evoke a response from the viewer, to make them want to pick up the book and check it out, obviously, and to do that the cover needs to tell a story of it's own which is why it's important to have a composition that takes the eye on a tour of the cover.
Having everything the same size is boring and also makes me feel like all the elements of the image are competing to be the main focus of the picture.
Check out these attached thumbnail sketches of covers and see how they use a more complicated and thematic composition to draw the viewer in. Perhaps they'll give you more ideas.
Hmm, thanks for the comments guys. Tovette, I think I will play around with those thumbs, thanks. A good friend commented that I might want to add some kind of enemy presence to the cover, am also considering that. Will post some concept results soon
Ok, so these are pretty rough right now. I did them while in the vanpool heading home. But I did some mockups based on Tovette's sketches. I haven't added the swooshes yet because I need to figure out how, and how to not make them look like garbage.
V1
V2
V3
Thanks for the notes, they are very helpful, probably the most helpful advice I have gotten. I am partial to Versions 1 and 3 right now, V2 could work, but I agree is too clumped up. Will play with this some more today, lock down which one I want to go with, then do rerenders, final placements, etc...
Tovette knows a lot more about making covers than most of us, so you're definitely in good hands in the advice department. A lot of us just build models and occasionally do a still image or two, he's making an actual book out of his stuff.
I'm definitely partial to the first and third ones of the new batch. I like the color change on the skull a lot. Plus, they're not as cluttered as the second one.
I moved the temporary fighters around (will rerender later) and moved some other bits around too, I also lightened the armor and added a glow around the characters. THoughts?
Red nebula (Suggested elsewhere)
Put the groundplane back, not sure if it should remain.
I like the red too. Plus, you ditched the rocky surface for that one, which makes it less cluttered. Since it's a cover and not a scene, it's OK if your characters are "floating."
While I am not wild about the red it is getting the best feed back. Anyway, I reset the fighter scene and added them back in, two different options here, with maybe some sub-options. I do plan to add some engine exhausts, and maybe course trails. Thoughts?
set1
set2
I am thinking maybe the lead from option 2 with the trail from option 1.
I don't like the fighters in any of these. The position they had in the previous iteration was perfect. They had energy and looked like they were going to fly right out of the cover. These just look like they're wandering around lost.
Working on updating the logos for the two major factions in the Spiral War. I mocked these up in Powerpoint, will probably make the final versions in Photoshop. Looking for general thoughts and crits. I plan to use these on the cover of Book 0.
Posts
logo reversed
I don't know anything about the story, but I would imagine that covers should have important elements on them pertinent to the story, so I guess the space marines and the fighter are important.
Why is there a skull in the background?
Why does the fighter have to be there? Why does it have to be so big? Is it important?
Why are the space marines in the foreground? If they are the primary characters then how come the fighter and skull are all competing for attention??
The pattern of the composition is too flat and, in my opinion, too boring. It doesn't engage me at all. Just like an illustration, a cover of a book should take your eye on a tour.
You want your cover to be evoke a response from the viewer, to make them want to pick up the book and check it out, obviously, and to do that the cover needs to tell a story of it's own which is why it's important to have a composition that takes the eye on a tour of the cover.
Having everything the same size is boring and also makes me feel like all the elements of the image are competing to be the main focus of the picture.
Check out these attached thumbnail sketches of covers and see how they use a more complicated and thematic composition to draw the viewer in. Perhaps they'll give you more ideas.
Keep going! :thumb:
V1
V2
V3
Thanks for the notes, they are very helpful, probably the most helpful advice I have gotten. I am partial to Versions 1 and 3 right now, V2 could work, but I agree is too clumped up. Will play with this some more today, lock down which one I want to go with, then do rerenders, final placements, etc...
I'm definitely partial to the first and third ones of the new batch. I like the color change on the skull a lot. Plus, they're not as cluttered as the second one.
Red nebula (Suggested elsewhere)
Put the groundplane back, not sure if it should remain.
set1
set2
I am thinking maybe the lead from option 2 with the trail from option 1.