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Nightgate Cover Redesign Comp Discussion thread

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Min

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12 years ago
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Min

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12 years ago
This thread's been set up to discuss ideas and to post work-in-progress design for feedback, similar to the previous Legendsong and Green Monkey Dream equivalent feedback / help threads. We're running another long-term cover design competition, this time for the Nightgate Trilogy! The challenge is this: you've been commissioned to re-design the Nightgate covers; the publisher would like 3 new matching covers, for the launch of The Firecat's Dream. Use any stock-image photographs and other artwork you wish to come up with a set of covers. Seeing as this is a purely speculative scenario and we're not using these images for anything besides the competition we should be okay to use stock images. Consult the licensing requirements of each individual stock-image website if you are unsure about whether to use a pic or not. The competition is open from now, until the 30th November 2011. For more information, and to enter, visit this page: Nightgate Trilogy Cover Comp If there's any questions or artwork you want feedback on, post below!
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
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AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
I haven't read the Nightgate Trilogy for a while now, and I'm a little rusty on the main characters and how they look. Where can I find an overview of this? If there isn't any place, would anybody be interested if I re-read the books and posted up general information on characters and appearances in this thread?
Min

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12 years ago
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Min

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12 years ago
I'd definitely suggest a reread, BT and WD are enchanting! I'll try describe them (from memory so if any with better memory comes along please correct me):

Rage - tween in the first book, maybe 13/14 in the second? Has long, wild/curly light blonde hair.
Billy - as a dog he's sort of retrieverish? He's mixed breed though, with honey-coloured fur. As a boy he's got the same reddish hair. He's a bit older than Rage in the first book, and maybe 16 in the second (as dogs age faster than humans)
Elle - she's described as an ugly dog - is it specified she's a pitbull or bulldog, or is that something I've made up? When she's in Nightgate form, she's a beautiful Amazonian-type woman with golden furred ears.
Mr Walker - I think chihuahua - described as very little. In Nightgate form he's like a dwarf, again with big furry ears.
Bear - grumpy old dog, Billy's mother. In Nightgate form she's a bear.
Goatee/Gilbert - the farm goat who turns into a sort of faun once through the Nightgate.

There's a bunch of other characters like Rage's uncle and mum and Logan but the above are the main focus. Help to jog you memory at all?
Min

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12 years ago
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Min

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12 years ago
[act]evades double post monster by talking about puppies[/act]

I've been thinking about layout ideas for this competition and I've come across a couple of great stock images that might inspire some people...

I love this one: ~Link~ as they're seeing 'eye to eye'.
And this: ~Link~ it's like they're almost having a conversation.
This one: ~Link~ because they look like such friends, and are looking the same way, like they're thinking the same things.
And I love this idea: ~Link~

~Link~
~Link~
ROFL: ~Link~
~Link~
~Link~

More specifically Winter Door related, since they reach them in their dreams: ~Link~
The contents of the pictures aren't quite fitting to the book or anything, but it's the layout I really like.

And it's not suitable for the cover either but OMFG TOO CUUUUTE it's like a mini Billy + Rage! T_T ~Link~

But anyway they're just ideas..! Anyone found any good images to take inspiration from?
I'm definitely liking the footprint idea, so I might do something with that.
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago

Fri Jun 10 2011, 11:09pm
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AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
Those are great pictures Min! My concept was somewhat different, and I've been mucking around using polyvore to create my pictures (which just goes to show the extent of my ability to use technology).

I did The Firecat's Dream first, because that was easiest :/

Here's what I came up with:
~Link~

Any advice? I'm not too sure about it - I think it looks kind of storybookish. Maybe it's the writing.

Here's the link to the set, if anybody is interested or wants an idea of how I put it together:
~Link~
Min

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12 years ago
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Min

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12 years ago
Oh WOW, Axe, I LOVE it.
My only thought is that the black around the eyes is too stark, but even if you keep it as it is, it still totally works with the style. All I can think to do to make it less stark is to try change the shape of the eyes so they look more a part of the background, like they're eye-shapes in the flames, not eyes on top of or in front of the flames, if that makes any sense.
But it's GORGEOUS as is, too!
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
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AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
Thank you :) I tried to blend the eyes into the background, but unfortunately it didn't turn out too well :( It looked scary. But not in a creepy way, in an 'Eww! That's demented and disgusting!' way. I might try again before I submit it, but for now I'll keep it how it is.

I've finished the first cover (after a long period of art block for it) so I'll put it up for critique when I've done the second book cover (which I must re-read for ideas).
Min

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12 years ago
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Min

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12 years ago
All good Axe - it was just something to try, and hey like I said, it was gorgeous already! Can't wait to see your other covers!
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago

Fri Jul 08 2011, 07:02pm
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AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
Mwahaha! Due to the power of procrastination, I have finished them all!

Here is:

Billy Thunder and the Night Gate and the set.

The Winter Door and the set.

The Firecat's Dream and the set.

Done! I'm paranoid, so I'm going to wait a bit for people to pick out the inevitable mistakes so I can fix them before I submit ._.
Min

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Min

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12 years ago
Oh...WOW, Axe. They are phenomenal. Just gorgeous. I'd buy those covers in a heartbeat.
Submit them! Now! :P
deb

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12 years ago
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deb

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12 years ago
They look great to me too.
Cat-Eyes

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cateyes
12 years ago
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Cat-Eyes

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12 years ago
They look fantastic Axe!!
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
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AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
Ahaha, thank you. [act]submits[/act]
Min

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12 years ago
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Min

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12 years ago
I finally got some time to work on my versions of the covers today - let me know what you think?
There are things I'd like to change, such as having the eyes of the left / right characters on each set line up, but those images were difficult enough to find as it was and I'm not sure I'll get to spend much more time on them :-/

But if you see any glaring errors / problems...let me know?
All my covers use a bramble gate (that I got sick of hunting down in image galleries, so just made it myself using some photoshop brushes with textures) and have a landscape scene in the middle, with a key character on the bottom left / right (it'll be pretty easy to pick which characters I've picked :P ).

Billy Thunder: ~Link~
Winter Door: ~Link~
Firecat's Dream: ~Link~
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
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12 years ago
They look wonderful, Min! Espcially the bramble gate, you did a great job of it. The only thing that I would change is perhaps bringing up the heads of the characters in the bottom left corner in the first two covers, just a fraction, so that their nose shows more (like The Firecat's Dream, though since the faces are slightly larger you don't have to bring them that far up), because I think the eyes are a little too close to the bottom of the cover. But other than that they look fabulous!
ElspethInnle

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12 years ago

Tue Jul 26 2011, 08:12pm
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ElspethInnle

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12 years ago
They look awesome Min! Very good job with the gate effect too! :D

The only thing I would suggest is to customise the gate a bit, not so much that you wouldn't be able to tell it's the same gate but just enough to fit the cover.

So, what I mean is perhaps for the first cover, change the lighting of the leaves, so it looks more night-ish. The brightness of the foreground takes away most of the effect the night background has, so balancing the colours might help a bit more.

For the second cover, maybe a bit more wintery? I know covers aren't usually indicative of what the title is, but a few snowflakes or the like could help bring out the snow on the top of the buildings better.

And for some reason I can just imagine something like little pieces of paper burning around the edges, or just having a few flickering flames around the place, as the flames look a bit constricted to the bottom right hand corner.

I've been working on a few covers but I can't get the fonts right. Very irritating.
Min

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12 years ago

Sat Jul 30 2011, 01:16pm
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Min

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12 years ago
Both excellent ideas! I've had another play this morning, and come up with:

BTNG: ~Link~ (stars, and head moved up - had to smudge the begeesus out of the nose to make it look normal - Rupert Grint has an alarmingly large nose when he smiles!)
TWD: ~Link~ (frost/snow, and moved Elle/Dichen Lachman head up)
TFD: ~Link~ (fire, made Rage's head a little bigger)

What do you think? Better/worse?
ElspethInnle

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12 years ago
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ElspethInnle

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12 years ago
Love them :D Great job Min!
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
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12 years ago
I think they look even better! :)
Min

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Min

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12 years ago
Awesome, thanks for your help/suggestions with them guys!
AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
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AxeinGuanette

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12 years ago
*bump* Anybody else want to enter the comp? Only just over a month left!

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