During this weekend, I took some time to work on the front and back cover for the comic. If I go ahead and get a printed form of the comic then I could allow people to read it in a traditional way. However If I am unable to do so then I aim to have a digital form available so they they can read it.
Early Thumbnails
While I do like the way this is laid out with the ocean at the top with the eye underneath. The way the eye looks inappropriate.The inspiration for this thumbnail was from an old VHS cover of a b-movie called "Evil Beneath Loch Ness".
Front Cover Iterations
Rough Silhouette of the Front Cover
Eventually, I decided to go from this illustrated version where there is a large silhouette of a humanoid hand reaching up to the underbelly of a rowing boat. For this illustration I wanted to make sure that the boat and the large hand were the key focuses. I took some inspiration for this thumbnail from a few sources.
Depth and sea monster Influence
I also considered using a Lovecraftian styled frame for the illustration the front cover cover. However I spoke to Brian about this and he told em the way i had designed the frame appeared more older than if it were made in 1914. He suggested that i took a look at some painting in the local museum that were amide in 1914 and observe their framing. Never the least I designed the frame like this to reflect the themes the recurring themes of Lovecraft such as tentacles,eyes, fins and other familiar traits used unfamiliar ways. Furthermore another theme that occurs is that Lovecraft's often present to people a indefinite form.In other words, no one whats the creature's true form looks like or that it keeps changing its form. I also included some marine traits like barnacles and fins and scales.
Lovecraftian Frame Sketch
Lovecraftian Frame Line Artwork
Hand Iterations
Hand Iterations
Here are some further iterations into how teh and could look. I found it quite challenging because I wanted to make sure the hand looks human like but had extensive features that are not often associated with humans such as the use of webbed hands and elongated fingers. I also wanted to include the use of pointy finger tips to emphasis the long fingers and add a bit of creepiness.
Front Cover Iterations
Here I elongated the hand to fit he Original final design of the creature plus it helps fit the eerie and mucky atmosphere for the water.
Back cover Design Development
For the back cover, I want to it to feature an illustration which reflected an opposite mood.However I wanted there to be a connect between the two covers through the use of environment and colour. I revisited one of the thumbnail I made earlier and I development on it further.
Rowing Boat Sketch
Rowing Boat Coloured
Boat Reduced
The small size of the man in the rowing boat does help provide a sense of scale and shows how small he is in this large and wide ocean. I decided to include some grey and blacks clouds as a form of o foreshadowing the nightmares that the main character will encounter. Furthermore the use of colour and more positive lighting is a suitable contrasts compare to the front cover.
Frontcover Illustration on top of Book Texture
However I plan to find old books that I possess which may be appropriate for displaying old styled book.
Photos of Book Textures
With these book textures applied to the front cover illustration, it will help give the comic a sense of age.
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