r/BookCovers • u/Big_Exchange_2812 • May 01 '26
Feedback Wanted Design critique wanted!
Made a post just a bit ago about wanting to learn more about cover design related to character art and was suggested to do a bunch of practice covers to build a possible portfolio. This is the design without text, because i know my typography will be horrifically lacking until i learn that aspect better, but this was designed with text placement in mind. Looking for feedback specifically on design elements and how well this would work as a front cover in general! Of course, this is practice by using alice in wonderland. All constructive feedback welcome! Thank you
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u/bioticspacewizard May 01 '26
There’s definitely not enough space for typography. The art is way too busy.
Busy art can work with strategic placement and cropping. Here’s an example that sold really well:
https://www.lewiscarroll.org/2010/02/03/camille-rose-garcias-alices-adventures-in-wonderland/
The illustrated style worked because it also matched the illustrations inside the book. So the cover did its job as a promise to the reader.
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u/Spare-Warning1632 28d ago
He can take some of the elements that make it busy and use them as part of the typography, the key, watch and cards can be formated into the letters themselves.
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u/youcancallmemando May 01 '26
I don’t think you’ve left enough space for typography at all. I presume the title would be on the teeny tiny little banner across the bottom. That’s way too small. And where would the author’s name go?
It *could* work with the illustration being as obvious as it is, but if it was on a book nowhere near as well known? No way. Very very rarely is the illustration put BEFORE the actual title of the book in importance, otherwise how would anyone know what it is? Same with the author’s name. Part of it has to do with thumbnail size. No one would be able to read a tiny title on an Amazon thumbnail
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
The authors name is planned to go in the banner at the bottom, and i scaled it to fit his name. I also planned the details around the bottom knowing id have them covered by the eventual lettering. I had it spaced out in the sketch, i just didnt do the finished lettering because right now i know it would look ugly a hell if i did it.
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
The title was going to be skewed slightly to the left on that almost empty section, and would cover most of the bottom of the cover, which im fine with
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u/DarlingBri May 01 '26
That does not work for humans buying books.
You are treating your art as the main character. In a book cover it is very much not the main character. It is a supporting character. The title is the most important thing.
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u/dropandgivemenerdy May 01 '26
Eh. Maybe. But I’m finding that to be not true these days. Look at all the special editions that exist from second party. It’s art heavy. Words have become secondary. And honestly unless the words are art themselves, an eye catching and well done illustration will absolutely be the selling point.
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u/DarlingBri May 01 '26
All of the special editions are created specifically for an existing market of readers. OP does not have an existing market of readers.
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
Thats not what im meaning to do here. I planned for where i will put the lettering and how i would like it to look. I only left it out here because i KNOW how bad i am at it right now, and knew it would be the only thing talked about in the comments if i showed it right now. I really did account for it and plan it as a major visual element
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u/motherclucker19 May 01 '26
To me this reads as an illustration that would be inside the book. And it's beautiful and amazing, and I might even reach out for a commission! But as others mentioned, it doesn't exactly read as a cover, just because the banner for the title could be more front stage. I think honestly you could just shrink the frame, and have your character go out of the frame, as that bit of hair does, and that could open more space at the bottom for the title. OR when you go to market this, do some overlays on the elements, explaining which elements could be made bigger or smaller per authors wishes.
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
Really glad you like the artwork!
Most of the elements are still separated so i could definitely do that without too much fiddling!
And the banner is only where i planned to put the authors name, i laid out the title pretty large and focused spanning the bottom of the cover (it would go at least to the bottom of her dress, and cover a lot of the bottom aspects there.) i just didnt show it because typography is my worst skill at the moment and i hoped people would focus on other critique if i didnt make that the focal point in this post, because i know thats the thing i need to work on most, and i just wanted to see what else i need to work on.
Thank you for your kind words!
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u/clauderoze May 01 '26
I love it
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u/clauderoze May 01 '26
Maybe I would add some more shade? I don't know if the coloring is finished. If your style is exactly that, that's okay anyway.
And in my opinion there is space to add title and author name, you just have to figure out how to make them stand out.
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u/dropandgivemenerdy May 01 '26
I really think this works if the lettering/title is done well. I do a lot of covers where the art fills a cover like this and I could instantly see exactly where I’d set the title and the author name. I know people are saying it’s busy but I think busy works for a story like this 🤷🏼♀️
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
Im glad you can see that! I really did account for it from the beginning of the sketching process, and only didnt add it because lettering is my weakest point right now and didnt want that to be the only thing people talk about. It seems that that backfired on me. I even tried to say that in the post, but people are missing my point and only commenting on that again
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u/Ornery-Persimmon-439 May 03 '26
The only thing I'll add is more shades. Your drawing is so beautiful 😍
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u/jostler57 May 01 '26
It's lovely art, and I can see it working with a sort of arched typography near the bottom 1/4 of the image (below the character), as long as it was strategically planned out.
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u/Soko_ko_ko May 01 '26
The art is nice but typography is equally as important. While it sounds like you have some idea where you want it, it still feels like an afterthought here
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
I promise it wasnt im just bad at it and this is a practice cover for me to learn with. I just wanted feedback on the other design details and didnt want people to only talk about my bad typography so i left out my planned version until i can get better at it. But it IS planned and positioned
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u/Soko_ko_ko May 01 '26
Okay, I'd say the design is also a bit busy, especially the top half. Not to say there can't be a lot of elements in a cover, but it makes it a bit hard to know where you want the eye to drawn to. I find myself looking at the bottom because there's space there to rest my eyes. Maybe go for a little less patterns?
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
Okay! I could change how i did the stripes or mute their colours a bit to pull them back more! That makes sense. Trying to find a mix between the busy style of alice and whats readable. Thank you!
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u/EarHonest6510 May 01 '26
I like the hair and line work ! I think some of the elements in the background stand out too much, like the key and clock and should fade more into the background. I think her arm is just little short too, could be a stylistic choice but I feel like at the pose she’s in her hands would reach a tiny bit further
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
I think i struggled with the middle ground between her being a child and a young teen, so the proportions are just slightly off for either. Thank you for pointing that out!
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May 01 '26
[deleted]
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
Okay so. These are just things i like to do stylistically, not AI. i love round eyebrows and coloured lashes. The final card suits were an afterthought just to get the idea across, and i like keys and chains that are drawn in that style. (Its common with anime art styles because its simple). I have the speedpaint and all the progress shots. This isnt ai
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u/onceagainonearth May 01 '26
It really caught my attention; I would definitely pick up that book to take a look if I saw it on display in a bookstore!
I would only change a few small things to better fit the title and author's name, perhaps move the illustration a little higher, I would place the title well below Alice, and change the color of the clock to a more bluish tone, so it doesn't stand out so much behind the title and becomes more of a "background" element. And that's it. I really don't think it needs many changes, you did a great job! Especially if this project is for a new edition of Alice in Wonderland (I assumed it was), people already know the title and what the work is about, so let the art do its job and attract attention! 😊 Covers and artwork do sell. There are collectors who buy the same story they love multiple times just to have the most beautiful covers and editions ever made of the story they love with them.
If you eventually end up working at a publishing house, you often won't even need to worry about typography, because they have designers to handle that part. Knowing typography is a plus, but it's not mandatory for a good illustrator.
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u/Big_Exchange_2812 May 01 '26
This is a really lovely comment, thank you! Im glad it caught your attention!
I could definitely do some adjusting and resizing, since i kept a lot of individual elements separate.
It makes me really happy to hear you assumed it was for a new addition! This is the first cover ive ever designed and i just want to build up a lot more practice with projects and novels i already know and love!
Okay thank you! I know i have a lot of learning to do about typography, and i know how important it is for covers, but deep down my goal would be to work on illustration itself. I know a lot of publishers separate the designer role from the illustrator one, but i also get that a lot of indie authors are only paying one person to do the whole thing. So i get why some people expect the typography of me, too. Its definitely a skill i need to gain!
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u/tara_tara_tara May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
Typography is not the last thing to think about. It’s not something you put in as an afterthought. It is integral to the design.
I would say that is not necessarily a book cover. It is a design based on a book.