I know I said I was going to visit with Vistaprint in my next blog, but I couldn't pass this up! I have said it before and I will say it again, here and now. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL, unless you consider a self-taught doodler, a professional. The artists we are about to discuss, ARE professionals and you're about to see why. Hands down, these two are MY FAVORITE designers and it's not surprising that these two work together, creating some of the most phenomenal works I have ever seen. High praise is definately deserved for these creative, talented, and no bullshit people. May I introduce the dynamic duo from Joolz and Jarling, Julie Nicholls and Uwe Jarling.
LOOK at the DETAIL!!! Now, I, am an illustrator, a cartoonist, if you will. I doodle. I make things bright and colorful. Not going to lie, I am nowhere near this good. We may use the same tools of the trade, but come on, take a good look at that image. That is 100%, wicked book cover material; and you know what, it takes days, if not weeks, to pull something like this together. This isn't your average 'hack and slash' you find in adds like, I'll make you a cover for 25$!" off Fivrr. No, this is hand-drawn, using multiple programs and made, from scratch. Did I mention it was, HAND-Drawn? I've seen a lot of ads for book covers and interior illustrations, and like I said above, most are comparable to the ad above, from people who are just in it to make a quick buck. There is no passion, no detail. A few images, cut out and pasted into another image, what I call the 'hack and slash' method; and no jazz. The 'hack and slash' method varies slightly from the 'cut and paste' method, where an artist will again use elements from multiple sources, and modify them in an appealing manner; but they actually know what they're doing and the end result looks amazing. I have created a few of these, and I mean a few, because it's hard to get the lighting, cropping, resizing, coloring....
The list goes on and some elements just don't work well with others. I like to play around, learn new things, but I prefer the hand-drawn doodles you normally see me share. Let's not kid ourselves, if I could create something like the image above, I'd never leave my house. The talent and dedication it takes to work your magic and bring your creation to life is immense and I wanted to show everyone just how crazy a design like the one above can get. So, I set out to ask my two favorite artists if I could snag some of there goods to share with you all in one of my tutorials. What I got in return was the coolest thing ever! Uwe Jarling knew exactly what I wanted to do and he went ahead and put together a sort of tutorial for us- three of them, actually. You see, there are many ways to design a cover. I illustrate and play around with cut and paste, while Joolz and Jarling take it ten steps further and create awesome, either by hand sketching, rendering in 3-d and painting like mad! They use various programs, from Photoshop, to ZBrush, Daz 3D and more. The options are endless, and as we can see, can be used to create wicked works of art. We're gonna get a chance to see three different, step by step projects that have been done for clients, and then I'll share a few of my favorite designs done by Joolz and Jarling. Are you ready to see what they can do with sketches??
He's even numbered them for us :) Again, look at the detail. No cover for 25$ is going to look like this, and if it does, I would question the designer and the artwork used. This is a lot of work and time spent to let it go for 25$
So far, it's looking like one of my doodles, save for the rider and the head of the beast. Nope, I lied, even the detail of the background is beyond my patience level. The detail, the shading, even before painting....
LAYERS! I keep saying it, and I'll say it again. It's all in the layers. From sketch to final outline, and all the shading and detail in between. Could you imagine NOT using layers, and having to fix a mistake?
My hand hurts just thinking about all those scales, the laces, the armor....
Oh man, Uwe, if you're reading this, you have to give us a layer count, my friend. The depth and design on this is spectacular.
Let there be color! Loving the watercolor effect, but we all know it isn't done yet!
Can you feel the heat coming off this picture? And does anyone else fancy a ride on the winged beast? Even now, it looks so real....
Someone order fire and smoking brimstone? And the bow and arrow she's holding, the shine of the armor...
Breathtaking, is an understatement when describing the final image. Anyone else notice the canvas like texture in the background? Like it was the real deal. Painted by hand in someone's study. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see the next line up he has for us.
Oh, I love these ones. Created using a 3-d model that was made for this image using a program called ZBrush. If my laptop would run it, I'd be using it, too!
Using the 3-d model, the designer can grasp all the details and depth, really bringing the image to life. A basic sketch? There is nothing basic about these sketches!
Even the color comes in layers. Look at that throne.....
The hair, the dragon's teeth, and whoa, where'd the birds come from? An excellent touch to an almost complete design.
Bloody brilliant if you ask me, right down the font selection. I know that what you, Joolz, it bears your finesse. And there you have it, another complete design that took less time to share with you all, than it did to create it; and some people think you can snap your fingers and produce it the next day :( Not gonna happen. You want good quality, original works of arts, you have to be patient; and it helps if the designer likes you. No one wants to work with nasty people. You can't expect excellence in a day for 25$.
One last line up to help it all sink in. Work like this takes time, energy and passion; and I for one would LOVE to have this next one on my shelf. I am so glad he chose to add this one to his lineup, for it is BY FAR, my most favorite and looks exactly like my character, Nyx, but without the horns, who also happens to be a dark prince, whether he'll admit it or not.
Make no mistake, if I saw this cover on the bookshelf, I'd be grabbing it, just for the cover. Utterly amazing. Just look at that detail, and the 3-d render used to bring it all to life!
Looks like an oil painting, so far....
Oh man, those eyes... That chest... Okay, who's writing the story to accompany this, I NEED to read it.
You ready to color, EVERY SINGLE DIAMOND? And people wonder why some covers are $$$PRICEY$$$ but hey, for quality like this, TAKE MY MONEY!
Oh boy, I think he'd have no problem taking over the underworld. Nope, not one bit.
Check out the fur cloak that he's sitting on, that wax dripping from the skull... Those horns....
Just, WOW! For the first time in a long while, I am speechless. I have no idea how much this design goes for, but if I had the money, it would be mine. Such detail, such effort, I really need to figure out how to do this.
This was just three designs, shared by Uwe Jarling, but between them both, there are hundred of their works out there. Incredibly detailed, custom and pre-made designs, all of them basking in quality just like those above; and you won't find them on sites like Fivrr. Don't get me wrong, Fivrr isn't all bad. There are some wicked artists there who value their clients, but when you don't have the time or energy to fish through all the others who don't really care about the quality, only the $$... Do you really want to trust them with the creation of the first thing, one of them main elements that is supposed to draw your readers in, for 25$? Trust me when I say this, if only to save yourself from any unforeseen circumstances, any artist worth your time, values their own. They aren't going to offer the amount of effort and time needed to create amazing, for 25$ I wouldn't, and I am nowhere near as talented as they are. So, when an artist quotes a price for a piece they are selling, consider the time and energy they spent bringing their idea, or yours, to life. We all work in different ways, and create different things for different people; but it's the quality and the passion that goes into it, that matters. You just spent how long writing and perfecting your story? Do you really want to trust your project to someone who doesn't feel for the idea like you do? Me either, which is why I always tell my clients, if I can't do it, I know people who can... and I send them to Joolz and Jarling. You've seen what they can do above, and I'll post a little gallery below for you to check out a few more, but think about what you've seen and what I've said. It's not an easy job to reach into someone's mind and create the perfect cover, but I think these two do a wonderful job; and who knows, maybe one day I'll be able to pull off amazing, too! Until then, I'll leave you with that gallery and I'll be back soon with that Visaprint blog for you all!
****Please note that these covers are NOT here on sale. Some of them have already been claimed and bear author names. These are here as an example of what Joolz and Jarling can do, whether on their own, or together. Just look for their watermark and you'll know who did it. If you're interested in what you see, you can find more at https://www.facebook.com/CoversbyJoolzJarling/ Tell them Mara sent you!****
A Huge SHOUT OUT to Joolz and Jarling for all their help, you guys totally rock! Cheers, guys!
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