Hey, I'm wondering if some of you can give me some advice? About 2 years ago I installed Photoshop on my computer because I wanted to try my hand a designing a cover for my second book that was being published. Here is the cover:
The Silent Winds of October
As you can see, the font is boring, the fire is fake, the ocean has an area that is a different color because I moved my name block and had to fill in the old one and it didn't blend well, and I submitted it in RGB mode. So, I continued trying to figure out Photoshop, but since I had a pirated version I didn't have the manual, so it was all trial and error work. My next book was easy to do. I took a picture of an eclipse and just stretched it and made it look like a sort of explosion (or vagina, as my friend says).
A Scattering of Seeds
This is when I learned that RBG mode was not a good mode for print because originally the pink was coming back with distinct rings of this bright fuckin' neon hot pink! But I figured it out and it turned out cool. The cover is simple, not much to be in awe of, but that's the point. After that I decided to start trying to challenge myself and work on some CD covers for some local bands. The first was a friend's band called Rex Manning Day. I did a few covers for them, but they started to be dicks about it all because I was not interested in using their artwork because it sucked, and because I was putting up $500 for them and was going to put it out on a label I had started. Eventually, I washed my hands of the whole thing, but here's my favorite cover that I did for them:
Rex Manning Day
For a laugh, this is the cover they did (tell me what it has to do with the title?) and the artwork they were sending me:
Final Cover | Logo They Wanted To Use | Cover They Sent Me
Would you associate your name with that? So anyway, I was getting better and I tried a few more covers for bands. Here they are:
badkarma #1 | badkarma #2
Eyesore
Now I'm working on the cover to my third book:
Higher Than Heaven (Draft #1) | Higher Than Heaven (Draft #2)
But I'm realizing that I'm not getting any better at it and I think it's because I have no formal training and I'm still doing the trial and error thing, and when I figure something out I tend to not remember how I got there. So, after this longwinded drivel (had to give you the background with visuals) I am in need of advice. What sort of courses should I take? Should I take any courses? Or could I get a book or two? Do I need a Wacom Board (I think I do, the mouse sucks to work with).
Actually, if anyone can just give me a little insight on how you got started on it all. I think I'm doing pretty good for having no formal training, but because of that I have no direction and I hate spending 2 hours trying to figure out how to do something when it should only take me 3 mouse-clicks to actually do it. You know?
Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice you're willing to offer. And sorry for the novel!!
The Silent Winds of October
As you can see, the font is boring, the fire is fake, the ocean has an area that is a different color because I moved my name block and had to fill in the old one and it didn't blend well, and I submitted it in RGB mode. So, I continued trying to figure out Photoshop, but since I had a pirated version I didn't have the manual, so it was all trial and error work. My next book was easy to do. I took a picture of an eclipse and just stretched it and made it look like a sort of explosion (or vagina, as my friend says).
A Scattering of Seeds
This is when I learned that RBG mode was not a good mode for print because originally the pink was coming back with distinct rings of this bright fuckin' neon hot pink! But I figured it out and it turned out cool. The cover is simple, not much to be in awe of, but that's the point. After that I decided to start trying to challenge myself and work on some CD covers for some local bands. The first was a friend's band called Rex Manning Day. I did a few covers for them, but they started to be dicks about it all because I was not interested in using their artwork because it sucked, and because I was putting up $500 for them and was going to put it out on a label I had started. Eventually, I washed my hands of the whole thing, but here's my favorite cover that I did for them:
Rex Manning Day
For a laugh, this is the cover they did (tell me what it has to do with the title?) and the artwork they were sending me:
Final Cover | Logo They Wanted To Use | Cover They Sent Me
Would you associate your name with that? So anyway, I was getting better and I tried a few more covers for bands. Here they are:
badkarma #1 | badkarma #2
Eyesore
Now I'm working on the cover to my third book:
Higher Than Heaven (Draft #1) | Higher Than Heaven (Draft #2)
But I'm realizing that I'm not getting any better at it and I think it's because I have no formal training and I'm still doing the trial and error thing, and when I figure something out I tend to not remember how I got there. So, after this longwinded drivel (had to give you the background with visuals) I am in need of advice. What sort of courses should I take? Should I take any courses? Or could I get a book or two? Do I need a Wacom Board (I think I do, the mouse sucks to work with).
Actually, if anyone can just give me a little insight on how you got started on it all. I think I'm doing pretty good for having no formal training, but because of that I have no direction and I hate spending 2 hours trying to figure out how to do something when it should only take me 3 mouse-clicks to actually do it. You know?
Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice you're willing to offer. And sorry for the novel!!
