July 2010 project.
I have been asked by a few people about the cover art I designed for Oracle. So I thought I’d take the time to write out as much info from this project as I can remember.
| Oracle by RJ Scott |
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I remember reading the blurb and immediately itching to do the art for this one. It included tattoos which are always cool, but most importantly, elements of Mythology (which I love!).
Reading the spec, there was little info on the tattoo. Well, not enough info for me. I’m entirely too much into details to simply glaze over a reference to a phoenix tattoo. I wasn’t sure of the location, size, etc. so, I asked questions. Tons of questions regarding size, coloring, placement, and more, so I could try to match the story.
Then, I went guy shopping. I wanted to find a pose that showcased the design since it plays such a critical role in the story. So, I needed a ‘back’ shot. But I’m picky (have I mentioned that?) I like to show face, even if what I see is back. I hunted. And found the perfect Alex with a beautiful blank canvas for a back. Luckily, RJ agreed after seeing the photo. Sent a few links from my window shopping on to RJ and, tada! We found Luke. These are the two stock photos which now grace the cover as Alex and Luke.
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| Alex |
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Luke |
Now that I had the two guys, I was off to find the Oracle at Delphi. Again, a critical element to the story. So that pic is what you see at the bottom of the design.
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| Oracle at Delphi |
Now the critical part – the tattoo design. Not having any luck finding a phoenix which came close to the design needed, I drew one, with the large wingspan (needed to span the width of the back) and a long fiery tail – long enough that it would wrap around Alex’s bicep.
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| My phoenix drawing to match the description within Oracle. |
I cut away each of the guys for the shot. I set Luke aside until later, and now looked at Alex’s back as my blank canvas.
Taking the tattoo and adding it to Alex’s back was a little trickier. Sure, you can add a small design to a small area, but adding so much paint to a stock body isn’t necessarily the easiest thing in the world. Especially not when it’s expected to wrap around body parts. The smaller the tat, the easier to add.
For this design, I split the tattoo up into smaller sections. Then, through the use of the wonderful tools of photo editing software, I began to modify the shape of the bird, it’s wings and the tail, adding layer upon layer so that I could curve and mold the design as needed. I’m entirely too picky to just add a design without molding it. Doing so would yield a flat design.
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| Alex's upper back design molded to fit the contours of his muscles. |
Then came the clean up. Erased any overlapping design elements, adding in any missing curves, etc until it looked seamless. Added shading and other color effects until it looked natural.
Total layers to mold the phoenix – TONS. LOL
Every phoenix needs a sun, and so did this one, with long rays of light which almost touched the bird. The sun rose from his hips and the rays reached up on his back and around his waist.
I figured I'd tinker with the rays once I placed the design on Alex's back. So a basic tribal sun to match the styling of the phoenix, modified to have extended rays.
When finished, I showed RJ the design. Got a green light. Yay!
Then, molded the sun to match the dip of Alex’s back, and molded the rays to rise on his back and wrap around his waist.
Final touch to the design, there’s supposed to be Greek lettering all over the design. RJ just about had a heart attack when I told her I’d add words to the bird. LOL I’m flattered she was worried I’d screw up the design by riddling it with words in an ancient language. She agreed, but wanted them small….really, really small ;) and only a little bit.
So, rather than add random words and risk having poor Alex telling someone something obscene without even knowing it, I research some Greek symbols/lettering and added the following words:
- Sun (needed this since there are references to Apollo)
- Beautiful
- Birth
- Spirit soul
- Holy
- Of the air
(have I mentioned I’m into details? LOL)
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Alex's lower back showing the sun and the extended rays. You can also see how the tail wraps around the left arm. You can see the Greek lettering appears within the sun's rays. |
Having all the elements, now it was a matter of putting the pieces together.
I arranged the different elements the way I liked.
Then, because it's Mythology - my immediate coloring idea is earthy tones with an old style effect. Don't know why, maybe it's an artist thing but when I've got a gut reaction, I usually go with it and don't question it.
Lighting can greatly affect an image. It can lighten (no pun intended) or darken the mood. Essentially, for me (at least) lighting and coloring are critical in defining the mood/tone of the story. And yeah, Alex's hair too ;)
Now that I had the overall mood I was wanted, I needed to add the text. Text was easy. I loved this particular font for paranormal designs – but I’m not crazy about some of the letters. The “J” being one of them, so I expanded it a little so it actually hooked at the end and looked like a “J.” Colored the text to compliment the design's natural coloring.
Something was still missing. Added some accents to give the paranormal/mystical feel to the design.
I'd like to think this cover is a hybrid design since there are both elements of photo manipulation and an original design.
It's one of my favorites for several reasons. I tend to favor the dark, earthy tones, so the coloring and overall mood are appealing (to me). I love the fact that I had a chance to actually create something original for this piece - so it will always hold a special place for me. And finally, RJ, she's an amazing person with tons of talent who wrote a great story. Thank you, RJ. Without your story, this design would not have been created. :)
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