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Friday, January 8, 2010

Cover Cravings #1: Silhouettes

First new feature on my blog! I've always loved book covers - who doesn't like pretty pictures? - though sometimes they're amazing while others are horrible. So, I decided to start posting about my thoughts on different kinds of covers.

Since I'm going to stop doing my uber-long Wishlist Wednesday posts - I'll stick with single-book Waiting on Wednesday/On My Wishlist posts instead - this meme will replace that as the most image-heavy post of the week =D


A weekly feature on my blog where I post up cover images that fit a weekly theme - art styles, artists, colour schemes, etc. In essence, this is a meme that celebrates book covers as pieces of art. Covers link to larger images and titles to goodreads summaries.

This week's theme: Silhouettes
a flat/2-D image of people, animals, objects, etc. where the outlines are filled in with a single layer of colour

Examples


1) dark & creepy

Peter&Max
by Bill Willingham
I love silhouettes of trees, and this cover used the jagged shapes really well to accentuate the dark themes

2) light & cheerful

Scones and Sensibility
by Lindsay Eland
a really energetic image created using just shades of purple and pink, I really get the feel of the girl going on a mission among the tangled "love vines"

3) colourful

An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green
I personally think this paperback cover shows the difference between the girls better than the hardcover, because it's more about their "inner colours" than their outer appearances

4) simple & clean

Totally Killer
by Greg Olear
the familiarity of these iconic everyday items allow us to recognize them right away, which plays well into the cultural satire theme of the book

5) dramatic

Dawnthief
by James Barclay
the anonymity of the warriors plays up through the exclusion of their faces, at the same time reinforcing the mystery of their world-ending mission as well as grouping them together as a single unit

My Thoughts


The problem I sometimes have with covers that feature actual faces is that it kind of takes away some of my freedom to imagine the characters appearances myself. Silhouette covers are thus really great for those who like thinking up their own story imagery. However, picture images are probably better at attracting attention in general, luring people in to look at the details of the clothing or setting, something silhouette images have next to none of. Still, a design based on silhouettes isn't always simple (ex. first two examples) and can still attract attention on aesthetic appeal alone.

Feel free to add your own thoughts on the themes of the week too! I might add a Mr.Linky if people want to participate, but for now, please add any thoughts/examples you want to share in the comments =)

Erm...is anyone else having trouble with their scheduled post thing? I wanted this feature to be posted on Friday, hmm =T
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