Archive for October, 2013
October 25th, 2013
These covers, y’all. If there’s such a thing as a swoon streak, I’m on it. And dibs on that ridiculous term if it hasn’t been coined already. If the cover art for Naomi Shihab Nye’s There Is No Long Distance Now was a type of dessert, I’d liken it to a traditional black and white … Continue reading »
So I have this little list in my Gmail account that has a variety of links. This list includes blogs to check out, book covers to love (or loathe), illustrators, designers, photographers, you name it. And illustrator Chris Silas Neal has been sitting on this little list for quite some time. I think it’s high time … Continue reading »
Happy new year, everyone! Y’know, a week later. Man, it’s a good thing I didn’t put “Be timely about things/Get my act together” as a bullet point on my 2012 resolutions list, because a) that sounds incredibly boring and b) my real resolutions of “learning a new language” and “sending more letters and postcards” took … Continue reading »
It was only two weeks ago that I posted a fangirly glowing review of August’s cover art, chock-full of nothing but sparkly adjectives positive things to say about that intriguing upside-down cover. So you can only imagine my surprise when I woke up to a comment on that very post from the illustrator himself, Guy … Continue reading »
WARNING: The following interview is intended only for an audience who: Has an appreciation for art Has a sense of curiosity Has a sense of humor Most importantly has 15 minutes of interrupted time (trust me, you want to read this entire interview) Please give a warm welcome to the brilliantly talented designer, Christian Fuenfhausen. Without … Continue reading »
I’m really not quite sure what on earth possessed me to call this feature “Artist Abbreviated.” Judging by my past interviews, I don’t know what it means to abbreviate things. Whether you want to chalk it up to my early journalism days or my never-ending interest in my creative community, I feel like I never seem to … Continue reading »
Apologies for the prolonged absence. Life happens sometimes. As someone who has to browse through hundreds of stock photos every year for her job, I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to come across a photo that doesn’t scream “Stick me in a human resources training video!” The difference between looking for a stock … Continue reading »
I really could spend all the live-long day on the internet looking at artwork. And not just cover art. I could gaze at comics, sketches, illustrations, color palettes, furniture, paintings, video game concept art, photography, the list goes on and on until the end of the internet (which luckily I haven’t reached yet). There’s no … Continue reading »
Warning: the content you are about to read may reveal just how fangirly I am when it comes to interviewing designers and illustrators. I know this particular feature is called Artist Abbreviated, but in NO WAY will this interview be abbreviated. Abbreviating the awesome Colleen AF Venable would be doing you a disservice, trust me. … Continue reading »
Here’s a recipe for a very interesting interview: Ingredients: Freakishly Talented Illustrator (Fernando Juárez) Freakish Talent Spanish, the language Freakishly Talented Illustrator speaks fluently and you do not (even though you minored in it) Directions: Pore over all of Freakishly Talented Illustrator’s work and post a gushy comment on his blog begging asking him if … Continue reading »
October 25th, 2013
Oh, how I love me a typographic cover. Give me serifs, sans serifs, condensed characters, and boldfaces. Give me balance and a typeface with personality. Give me something other than a title slapped on in Neue Helvetica and I’ll give your cover another glance.
And while you’re at it, make me swoon with your swash.
I discovered the cover art for Large Mammals, Stick Insects & Other Social Misfits earlier this month via Jacket Knack’s “Touch of Irish” post. The YA novel revolves around the life of 15-year-old Aimée that sounds just as quirky as this cover looks. The cover is designed by Fidelma Slattery (ahem, can we say awesome name?) better known as Someday. Social Misfits’ face is s a coupling of whimsical type and what I can only assume to be a sprinkling of clues that are tidbits of Aimée’s story. The combination of colors, movement, character and an interesting title on this artwork was enough to make me want to find out more about the book (and its publisher, Irish indie Little Island).
Oh, and the cupcake is a nice little bonus, too. Never mind that at the opposite end of that cupcake is a weight scale. I’ll just pretend I didn’t make that connection.
October 25th, 2013
If you’ve missed the past two days of me gushing about Jackie Morse Kessler’s Hunger cover (oh, and she gushed too), today’s post may catch you a bit off-guard. Illustrator and designer Sammy Yuen joins me today to talk about the blood, sweat and tears that went into designing the face of Hunger, the first installation in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.
So, the horsemen of the apocalypse with a modern twist — what were your first thoughts and reactions on how to go about designing the face of a novel like Hunger? Did you get a chance to read it before starting the design?
Whenever I get a new assignment, I always try to think about the audience and what would draw them into the book. I read the first few chapters of HUNGER, and I was fascinated with how Jackie Morse Kessler was able to merge a contemporary subject matter like anorexia with a fantastical/biblical storyline like the four horsemen. So, my first thought was: how do I create a timeless look that reflects an ancient story and a modern theme?
What were your initial ideas for the cover? Do you have some early illustrations/mockups that you can share?
Since this book deals with eating disorders, I thought it made perfect sense to include a scale. I felt like this iconic image tells the potential reader immediately what the focus of the story is. Here is a thumb nail/first sketch.
What is your normal design process after you get a working draft? What were the parts that kept getting tweaked?
When I start working on a cover, I like to do three thumbnails, each with a different concept/composition. When one concept gets approved, I start doing photo research so my comps can be as detailed and as accurate as possible. Sometimes I create an outline of the artwork using Adobe Illustrator, and from there, I import the art to Photoshop and begin adding texture, shape, and light. After I complete the art, I start the text design. I like the text to frame the art. I’d say the text design gets tweaked the most.
What were the easiest parts of the design/process? The hardest?
Every cover brings a new challenge. It’s like a puzzle—you have to put all your ideas (the pieces) together, the text design, the art, and all with the audience and story in mind. So, the toughest part is finding the right pieces /concept for the puzzle. But once you get the right concept, the execution is the easiest part. Michelangelo believed that he had to find the right piece of marble and free the art from the piece of stone. I like to take the same approach. I just chip away at the Photoshop file till I think I have a nice polished piece.
You’ve done a lot of work designing covers for other YA authors like Ellen Hopkins, Scott Westerfeld, and Holly Black. What’s been your favorite cover that you’ve designed so far for YA literature so far?
I don’t really have a favorite because I enjoy the process more than the finished product. I just want other people to enjoy looking at the cover enough that they’ll pick up the book and want to find out more about it.
You’ve also designed the cover for the second book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series, Rage. Reflecting on how Hunger’s cover art came to finalization, how did the design process for Rage fare against its predecessor? Was it easier? More difficult?
I think it was easier to design RAGE. When I get an assignment, I always ask if it’s part of a series because each individual book is part of a bigger piece. Since HUNGER is book one of four in a series, it establishes the look of the books to follow.
I recently read an article on trends in YA cover art. Do cover trends play into your ideas for designs? Also, where do you find the balance in prioritizing the message at the heart of a novel and including marketing at the same time? Or, do you feel cover art’s main focus always revolves around the art?
To me, art is about communication, and the final product is a combination of all the pieces of a puzzle. I don’t want to follow the trends; I hope I can be a part of setting them.
How did you come about your career as a designer?
I would have to say my design career began as 4-year-old kid with my first set of Mr. Sketch Scented Markers.
When I was 10 I got my first computer, an Apple 2E. At this point, I discovered McPaint. My mother told me her prediction, that I would one day create art on this computer. (Naturally, I thought she was crazy)
In high school I spent six weeks at RISD summer arts program. This really changed my life.
I went to Syracuse and majored in Illustration and spent one summer abroad in Italy studying art history. To say this experience was influential is an understatement.
A few years and a few odd jobs after college, I got my first opportunity to design books full time at Houghton Mifflin in the college text book cover division.
After a year there, I got my first job in Children’s book design with Planet Dexter, an imprint of Penguin Putnam.
Unfortunately Planet Dexter was a casualty of the .com bust and was cut from Penguin’s line up. So I was out of job, but that was the best thing to ever happen to me because I got a job at Simon & Schuster in NYC.
I worked at S&S for 10 years and really matured as an artist and a person. I just recently left Simon & Schuster to pursue a career as a freelance artist, and I’m really enjoying all the new opportunities that has come with freelancing. Now I’m illustrating and designing book covers and creating apps for publishing houses. Turns out my mother was right.
But moms are always right, aren’t they? 
Thanks for the interview, Sammy.
To see more of his design work, you can visit Sammy’s website, or become a fan of his on Facebook.
October 24th, 2013
It’s very rare that I come across a novel with multiple cover designs that I love equally. That was until I saw two of the covers for Charmian Hussey’s The Valley of Secrets.
This version of the cover art has a sort of whimsical feel to it, mostly due to the type. I can’t put my finger on what movie poster it reminds me of, but at face value I’d peg this novel to be a sort of magical fantasy. There’s something very Harry Potter-like about it, mixed in with a little bit of Big Fish. And hello, is that a secret garden? That gives this cover instant pick-me-up quality, for sure.
This version of the cover replaces the previous whimsical aspects with a sense of secrecy and danger. Not like “leaves of three let them be” danger (that is an awful lot of mysterious foliage, people!), but a la Jumanji or The Jungle Book.
Which one would you pick up at the library or bookstore, if you had the choice?
October 24th, 2013
Today I’m pleased to share an interview with author Jackie Morse Kessler, who was kind enough to answer a few questions about Hunger’s amazing cover art.
Hint: she loves it as much as I do.
Did you have any expectations when you thought about what the cover for Hunger should look like? Were you able to provide any concept input?
Usually, authors have very little say when it comes to cover art. So I kept my fingers crossed for something wonderful. And Sammy delivered brilliantly!
What was your very first reaction when you saw the final design?
I believe my exact words were “OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD — LOOK HOW FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!” (And recently, I saw the final version, complete with foil. And so along with the “OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD — LOOK HOW FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!” was “OOOOOOOOOOOOOH, SHINY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”)
My sentiments exactly. 
My favorite part of both the Hunger and Rage covers is that they evoke an air of danger and mystery, while paying homage to the symbolism of each of the horsemen. The color schemes of both are beautiful. What’s your favorite part of the cover(s)?
Yes! I agree — they shine darkly, both spotlighting the Horseman’s symbol and setting it in a potentially sinister cast. I’m looking at both covers now, and I can’t find one particular thing that is my favorite; for me, it’s how everything works together, from design to color to font, that weaves an incredible spell. I am so fortunate that Sammy was the cover artist!
As an author, what do you think is the most important message that a cover should relay? Should it be succinct to the novel’s message? Should it be pretty? Should it just catch someone’s attention, no matter what it looks like?
Ideally, I’d want the cover to accurately reflect something about the book—maybe depict a specific scene, or evoke a particular feeling. But ultimately, it comes down to “Is this a Pick Me Up And Hold Me cover?” (Happily, Sammy did it all for both the HUNGER and RAGE covers — the symbols are perfect, the feelings are spot on, and my God, they are gorgeous Pick Me Up And Hold Me covers.)
What are some of your favorite YA covers? What’s your definition of a good cover?
I’m a huge fan of Sammy’s work, including for Holly Black, Ellen Hopkins and Catherine Fisher. And I absolutely adore the cover treatments for Heather Brewer’s Chronicles of Vladimir Tod — that smiley face vampire icon is perfect, as is the heavily shadowed black and white image of Vlad. A good cover is one that makes you want to read the pages within. (And buy lots of copies!)
Any other comments you’d like to include on the cover/design of Hunger/Rage?
Sammy hit it out of the ballpark, and I’m so grateful that the Harcourt team hired him for HUNGER and RAGE.
Me, too, Jackie. ME TOO. Thanks so much for the interview! And tomorrow, you’ll be hearing from Sammy Yuen himself. Stay tuned!
October 23rd, 2013
If you’ve missed the past two days of me gushing about Jackie Morse Kessler’s Hunger cover (oh, and she gushed too), today’s post may catch you a bit off-guard. Illustrator and designer Sammy Yuen joins me today to talk about the blood, sweat and tears that went into designing the face of Hunger, the first installation in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.
So, the horsemen of the apocalypse with a modern twist — what were your first thoughts and reactions on how to go about designing the face of a novel like Hunger? Did you get a chance to read it before starting the design?
Whenever I get a new assignment, I always try to think about the audience and what would draw them into the book. I read the first few chapters of HUNGER, and I was fascinated with how Jackie Morse Kessler was able to merge a contemporary subject matter like anorexia with a fantastical/biblical storyline like the four horsemen. So, my first thought was: how do I create a timeless look that reflects an ancient story and a modern theme?
What were your initial ideas for the cover? Do you have some early illustrations/mockups that you can share?
Since this book deals with eating disorders, I thought it made perfect sense to include a scale. I felt like this iconic image tells the potential reader immediately what the focus of the story is. Here is a thumb nail/first sketch.
What is your normal design process after you get a working draft? What were the parts that kept getting tweaked?
When I start working on a cover, I like to do three thumbnails, each with a different concept/composition. When one concept gets approved, I start doing photo research so my comps can be as detailed and as accurate as possible. Sometimes I create an outline of the artwork using Adobe Illustrator, and from there, I import the art to Photoshop and begin adding texture, shape, and light. After I complete the art, I start the text design. I like the text to frame the art. I’d say the text design gets tweaked the most.
What were the easiest parts of the design/process? The hardest?
Every cover brings a new challenge. It’s like a puzzle—you have to put all your ideas (the pieces) together, the text design, the art, and all with the audience and story in mind. So, the toughest part is finding the right pieces /concept for the puzzle. But once you get the right concept, the execution is the easiest part. Michelangelo believed that he had to find the right piece of marble and free the art from the piece of stone. I like to take the same approach. I just chip away at the Photoshop file till I think I have a nice polished piece.
You’ve done a lot of work designing covers for other YA authors like Ellen Hopkins, Scott Westerfeld, and Holly Black. What’s been your favorite cover that you’ve designed so far for YA literature so far?
I don’t really have a favorite because I enjoy the process more than the finished product. I just want other people to enjoy looking at the cover enough that they’ll pick up the book and want to find out more about it.
You’ve also designed the cover for the second book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series, Rage. Reflecting on how Hunger’s cover art came to finalization, how did the design process for Rage fare against its predecessor? Was it easier? More difficult?
I think it was easier to design RAGE. When I get an assignment, I always ask if it’s part of a series because each individual book is part of a bigger piece. Since HUNGER is book one of four in a series, it establishes the look of the books to follow.
I recently read an article on trends in YA cover art. Do cover trends play into your ideas for designs? Also, where do you find the balance in prioritizing the message at the heart of a novel and including marketing at the same time? Or, do you feel cover art’s main focus always revolves around the art?
To me, art is about communication, and the final product is a combination of all the pieces of a puzzle. I don’t want to follow the trends; I hope I can be a part of setting them.
How did you come about your career as a designer?
I would have to say my design career began as 4-year-old kid with my first set of Mr. Sketch Scented Markers.
When I was 10 I got my first computer, an Apple 2E. At this point, I discovered McPaint. My mother told me her prediction, that I would one day create art on this computer. (Naturally, I thought she was crazy)
In high school I spent six weeks at RISD summer arts program. This really changed my life.
I went to Syracuse and majored in Illustration and spent one summer abroad in Italy studying art history. To say this experience was influential is an understatement.
A few years and a few odd jobs after college, I got my first opportunity to design books full time at Houghton Mifflin in the college text book cover division.
After a year there, I got my first job in Children’s book design with Planet Dexter, an imprint of Penguin Putnam.
Unfortunately Planet Dexter was a casualty of the .com bust and was cut from Penguin’s line up. So I was out of job, but that was the best thing to ever happen to me because I got a job at Simon & Schuster in NYC.
I worked at S&S for 10 years and really matured as an artist and a person. I just recently left Simon & Schuster to pursue a career as a freelance artist, and I’m really enjoying all the new opportunities that has come with freelancing. Now I’m illustrating and designing book covers and creating apps for publishing houses. Turns out my mother was right.
But moms are always right, aren’t they? 
Thanks for the interview, Sammy.
To see more of his design work, you can visit Sammy’s website, or become a fan of his on Facebook.
October 23rd, 2013
If you’ve missed the past two days of me gushing about Jackie Morse Kessler’s Hunger cover (oh, and she gushed too), today’s post may catch you a bit off-guard. Illustrator and designer Sammy Yuen joins me today to talk about the blood, sweat and tears that went into designing the face of Hunger, the first installation in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.
So, the horsemen of the apocalypse with a modern twist — what were your first thoughts and reactions on how to go about designing the face of a novel like Hunger? Did you get a chance to read it before starting the design?
Whenever I get a new assignment, I always try to think about the audience and what would draw them into the book. I read the first few chapters of HUNGER, and I was fascinated with how Jackie Morse Kessler was able to merge a contemporary subject matter like anorexia with a fantastical/biblical storyline like the four horsemen. So, my first thought was: how do I create a timeless look that reflects an ancient story and a modern theme?
What were your initial ideas for the cover? Do you have some early illustrations/mockups that you can share?
Since this book deals with eating disorders, I thought it made perfect sense to include a scale. I felt like this iconic image tells the potential reader immediately what the focus of the story is. Here is a thumb nail/first sketch.
What is your normal design process after you get a working draft? What were the parts that kept getting tweaked?
When I start working on a cover, I like to do three thumbnails, each with a different concept/composition. When one concept gets approved, I start doing photo research so my comps can be as detailed and as accurate as possible. Sometimes I create an outline of the artwork using Adobe Illustrator, and from there, I import the art to Photoshop and begin adding texture, shape, and light. After I complete the art, I start the text design. I like the text to frame the art. I’d say the text design gets tweaked the most.
What were the easiest parts of the design/process? The hardest?
Every cover brings a new challenge. It’s like a puzzle—you have to put all your ideas (the pieces) together, the text design, the art, and all with the audience and story in mind. So, the toughest part is finding the right pieces /concept for the puzzle. But once you get the right concept, the execution is the easiest part. Michelangelo believed that he had to find the right piece of marble and free the art from the piece of stone. I like to take the same approach. I just chip away at the Photoshop file till I think I have a nice polished piece.
You’ve done a lot of work designing covers for other YA authors like Ellen Hopkins, Scott Westerfeld, and Holly Black. What’s been your favorite cover that you’ve designed so far for YA literature so far?
I don’t really have a favorite because I enjoy the process more than the finished product. I just want other people to enjoy looking at the cover enough that they’ll pick up the book and want to find out more about it.
You’ve also designed the cover for the second book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series, Rage. Reflecting on how Hunger’s cover art came to finalization, how did the design process for Rage fare against its predecessor? Was it easier? More difficult?
I think it was easier to design RAGE. When I get an assignment, I always ask if it’s part of a series because each individual book is part of a bigger piece. Since HUNGER is book one of four in a series, it establishes the look of the books to follow.
I recently read an article on trends in YA cover art. Do cover trends play into your ideas for designs? Also, where do you find the balance in prioritizing the message at the heart of a novel and including marketing at the same time? Or, do you feel cover art’s main focus always revolves around the art?
To me, art is about communication, and the final product is a combination of all the pieces of a puzzle. I don’t want to follow the trends; I hope I can be a part of setting them.
How did you come about your career as a designer?
I would have to say my design career began as 4-year-old kid with my first set of Mr. Sketch Scented Markers.
When I was 10 I got my first computer, an Apple 2E. At this point, I discovered McPaint. My mother told me her prediction, that I would one day create art on this computer. (Naturally, I thought she was crazy)
In high school I spent six weeks at RISD summer arts program. This really changed my life.
I went to Syracuse and majored in Illustration and spent one summer abroad in Italy studying art history. To say this experience was influential is an understatement.
A few years and a few odd jobs after college, I got my first opportunity to design books full time at Houghton Mifflin in the college text book cover division.
After a year there, I got my first job in Children’s book design with Planet Dexter, an imprint of Penguin Putnam.
Unfortunately Planet Dexter was a casualty of the .com bust and was cut from Penguin’s line up. So I was out of job, but that was the best thing to ever happen to me because I got a job at Simon & Schuster in NYC.
I worked at S&S for 10 years and really matured as an artist and a person. I just recently left Simon & Schuster to pursue a career as a freelance artist, and I’m really enjoying all the new opportunities that has come with freelancing. Now I’m illustrating and designing book covers and creating apps for publishing houses. Turns out my mother was right.
But moms are always right, aren’t they? 
Thanks for the interview, Sammy.
To see more of his design work, you can visit Sammy’s website, or become a fan of his on Facebook.
October 23rd, 2013
If you’ve missed the past two days of me gushing about Jackie Morse Kessler’s Hunger cover (oh, and she gushed too), today’s post may catch you a bit off-guard. Illustrator and designer Sammy Yuen joins me today to talk about the blood, sweat and tears that went into designing the face of Hunger, the first installation in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.
So, the horsemen of the apocalypse with a modern twist — what were your first thoughts and reactions on how to go about designing the face of a novel like Hunger? Did you get a chance to read it before starting the design?
Whenever I get a new assignment, I always try to think about the audience and what would draw them into the book. I read the first few chapters of HUNGER, and I was fascinated with how Jackie Morse Kessler was able to merge a contemporary subject matter like anorexia with a fantastical/biblical storyline like the four horsemen. So, my first thought was: how do I create a timeless look that reflects an ancient story and a modern theme?
What were your initial ideas for the cover? Do you have some early illustrations/mockups that you can share?
Since this book deals with eating disorders, I thought it made perfect sense to include a scale. I felt like this iconic image tells the potential reader immediately what the focus of the story is. Here is a thumb nail/first sketch.
What is your normal design process after you get a working draft? What were the parts that kept getting tweaked?
When I start working on a cover, I like to do three thumbnails, each with a different concept/composition. When one concept gets approved, I start doing photo research so my comps can be as detailed and as accurate as possible. Sometimes I create an outline of the artwork using Adobe Illustrator, and from there, I import the art to Photoshop and begin adding texture, shape, and light. After I complete the art, I start the text design. I like the text to frame the art. I’d say the text design gets tweaked the most.
What were the easiest parts of the design/process? The hardest?
Every cover brings a new challenge. It’s like a puzzle—you have to put all your ideas (the pieces) together, the text design, the art, and all with the audience and story in mind. So, the toughest part is finding the right pieces /concept for the puzzle. But once you get the right concept, the execution is the easiest part. Michelangelo believed that he had to find the right piece of marble and free the art from the piece of stone. I like to take the same approach. I just chip away at the Photoshop file till I think I have a nice polished piece.
You’ve done a lot of work designing covers for other YA authors like Ellen Hopkins, Scott Westerfeld, and Holly Black. What’s been your favorite cover that you’ve designed so far for YA literature so far?
I don’t really have a favorite because I enjoy the process more than the finished product. I just want other people to enjoy looking at the cover enough that they’ll pick up the book and want to find out more about it.
You’ve also designed the cover for the second book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series, Rage. Reflecting on how Hunger’s cover art came to finalization, how did the design process for Rage fare against its predecessor? Was it easier? More difficult?
I think it was easier to design RAGE. When I get an assignment, I always ask if it’s part of a series because each individual book is part of a bigger piece. Since HUNGER is book one of four in a series, it establishes the look of the books to follow.
I recently read an article on trends in YA cover art. Do cover trends play into your ideas for designs? Also, where do you find the balance in prioritizing the message at the heart of a novel and including marketing at the same time? Or, do you feel cover art’s main focus always revolves around the art?
To me, art is about communication, and the final product is a combination of all the pieces of a puzzle. I don’t want to follow the trends; I hope I can be a part of setting them.
How did you come about your career as a designer?
I would have to say my design career began as 4-year-old kid with my first set of Mr. Sketch Scented Markers.
When I was 10 I got my first computer, an Apple 2E. At this point, I discovered McPaint. My mother told me her prediction, that I would one day create art on this computer. (Naturally, I thought she was crazy)
In high school I spent six weeks at RISD summer arts program. This really changed my life.
I went to Syracuse and majored in Illustration and spent one summer abroad in Italy studying art history. To say this experience was influential is an understatement.
A few years and a few odd jobs after college, I got my first opportunity to design books full time at Houghton Mifflin in the college text book cover division.
After a year there, I got my first job in Children’s book design with Planet Dexter, an imprint of Penguin Putnam.
Unfortunately Planet Dexter was a casualty of the .com bust and was cut from Penguin’s line up. So I was out of job, but that was the best thing to ever happen to me because I got a job at Simon & Schuster in NYC.
I worked at S&S for 10 years and really matured as an artist and a person. I just recently left Simon & Schuster to pursue a career as a freelance artist, and I’m really enjoying all the new opportunities that has come with freelancing. Now I’m illustrating and designing book covers and creating apps for publishing houses. Turns out my mother was right.
But moms are always right, aren’t they? 
Thanks for the interview, Sammy.
To see more of his design work, you can visit Sammy’s website, or become a fan of his on Facebook.
October 23rd, 2013
If you’ve missed the past two days of me gushing about Jackie Morse Kessler’s Hunger cover (oh, and she gushed too), today’s post may catch you a bit off-guard. Illustrator and designer Sammy Yuen joins me today to talk about the blood, sweat and tears that went into designing the face of Hunger, the first installation in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.
So, the horsemen of the apocalypse with a modern twist — what were your first thoughts and reactions on how to go about designing the face of a novel like Hunger? Did you get a chance to read it before starting the design?
Whenever I get a new assignment, I always try to think about the audience and what would draw them into the book. I read the first few chapters of HUNGER, and I was fascinated with how Jackie Morse Kessler was able to merge a contemporary subject matter like anorexia with a fantastical/biblical storyline like the four horsemen. So, my first thought was: how do I create a timeless look that reflects an ancient story and a modern theme?
What were your initial ideas for the cover? Do you have some early illustrations/mockups that you can share?
Since this book deals with eating disorders, I thought it made perfect sense to include a scale. I felt like this iconic image tells the potential reader immediately what the focus of the story is. Here is a thumb nail/first sketch.
What is your normal design process after you get a working draft? What were the parts that kept getting tweaked?
When I start working on a cover, I like to do three thumbnails, each with a different concept/composition. When one concept gets approved, I start doing photo research so my comps can be as detailed and as accurate as possible. Sometimes I create an outline of the artwork using Adobe Illustrator, and from there, I import the art to Photoshop and begin adding texture, shape, and light. After I complete the art, I start the text design. I like the text to frame the art. I’d say the text design gets tweaked the most.
What were the easiest parts of the design/process? The hardest?
Every cover brings a new challenge. It’s like a puzzle—you have to put all your ideas (the pieces) together, the text design, the art, and all with the audience and story in mind. So, the toughest part is finding the right pieces /concept for the puzzle. But once you get the right concept, the execution is the easiest part. Michelangelo believed that he had to find the right piece of marble and free the art from the piece of stone. I like to take the same approach. I just chip away at the Photoshop file till I think I have a nice polished piece.
You’ve done a lot of work designing covers for other YA authors like Ellen Hopkins, Scott Westerfeld, and Holly Black. What’s been your favorite cover that you’ve designed so far for YA literature so far?
I don’t really have a favorite because I enjoy the process more than the finished product. I just want other people to enjoy looking at the cover enough that they’ll pick up the book and want to find out more about it.
You’ve also designed the cover for the second book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series, Rage. Reflecting on how Hunger’s cover art came to finalization, how did the design process for Rage fare against its predecessor? Was it easier? More difficult?
I think it was easier to design RAGE. When I get an assignment, I always ask if it’s part of a series because each individual book is part of a bigger piece. Since HUNGER is book one of four in a series, it establishes the look of the books to follow.
I recently read an article on trends in YA cover art. Do cover trends play into your ideas for designs? Also, where do you find the balance in prioritizing the message at the heart of a novel and including marketing at the same time? Or, do you feel cover art’s main focus always revolves around the art?
To me, art is about communication, and the final product is a combination of all the pieces of a puzzle. I don’t want to follow the trends; I hope I can be a part of setting them.
How did you come about your career as a designer?
I would have to say my design career began as 4-year-old kid with my first set of Mr. Sketch Scented Markers.
When I was 10 I got my first computer, an Apple 2E. At this point, I discovered McPaint. My mother told me her prediction, that I would one day create art on this computer. (Naturally, I thought she was crazy)
In high school I spent six weeks at RISD summer arts program. This really changed my life.
I went to Syracuse and majored in Illustration and spent one summer abroad in Italy studying art history. To say this experience was influential is an understatement.
A few years and a few odd jobs after college, I got my first opportunity to design books full time at Houghton Mifflin in the college text book cover division.
After a year there, I got my first job in Children’s book design with Planet Dexter, an imprint of Penguin Putnam.
Unfortunately Planet Dexter was a casualty of the .com bust and was cut from Penguin’s line up. So I was out of job, but that was the best thing to ever happen to me because I got a job at Simon & Schuster in NYC.
I worked at S&S for 10 years and really matured as an artist and a person. I just recently left Simon & Schuster to pursue a career as a freelance artist, and I’m really enjoying all the new opportunities that has come with freelancing. Now I’m illustrating and designing book covers and creating apps for publishing houses. Turns out my mother was right.
But moms are always right, aren’t they? 
Thanks for the interview, Sammy.
To see more of his design work, you can visit Sammy’s website, or become a fan of his on Facebook.
October 23rd, 2013
If you’ve missed the past two days of me gushing about Jackie Morse Kessler’s Hunger cover (oh, and she gushed too), today’s post may catch you a bit off-guard. Illustrator and designer Sammy Yuen joins me today to talk about the blood, sweat and tears that went into designing the face of Hunger, the first installation in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series.
So, the horsemen of the apocalypse with a modern twist — what were your first thoughts and reactions on how to go about designing the face of a novel like Hunger? Did you get a chance to read it before starting the design?
Whenever I get a new assignment, I always try to think about the audience and what would draw them into the book. I read the first few chapters of HUNGER, and I was fascinated with how Jackie Morse Kessler was able to merge a contemporary subject matter like anorexia with a fantastical/biblical storyline like the four horsemen. So, my first thought was: how do I create a timeless look that reflects an ancient story and a modern theme?
What were your initial ideas for the cover? Do you have some early illustrations/mockups that you can share?
Since this book deals with eating disorders, I thought it made perfect sense to include a scale. I felt like this iconic image tells the potential reader immediately what the focus of the story is. Here is a thumb nail/first sketch.
What is your normal design process after you get a working draft? What were the parts that kept getting tweaked?
When I start working on a cover, I like to do three thumbnails, each with a different concept/composition. When one concept gets approved, I start doing photo research so my comps can be as detailed and as accurate as possible. Sometimes I create an outline of the artwork using Adobe Illustrator, and from there, I import the art to Photoshop and begin adding texture, shape, and light. After I complete the art, I start the text design. I like the text to frame the art. I’d say the text design gets tweaked the most.
What were the easiest parts of the design/process? The hardest?
Every cover brings a new challenge. It’s like a puzzle—you have to put all your ideas (the pieces) together, the text design, the art, and all with the audience and story in mind. So, the toughest part is finding the right pieces /concept for the puzzle. But once you get the right concept, the execution is the easiest part. Michelangelo believed that he had to find the right piece of marble and free the art from the piece of stone. I like to take the same approach. I just chip away at the Photoshop file till I think I have a nice polished piece.
You’ve done a lot of work designing covers for other YA authors like Ellen Hopkins, Scott Westerfeld, and Holly Black. What’s been your favorite cover that you’ve designed so far for YA literature so far?
I don’t really have a favorite because I enjoy the process more than the finished product. I just want other people to enjoy looking at the cover enough that they’ll pick up the book and want to find out more about it.
You’ve also designed the cover for the second book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series, Rage. Reflecting on how Hunger’s cover art came to finalization, how did the design process for Rage fare against its predecessor? Was it easier? More difficult?
I think it was easier to design RAGE. When I get an assignment, I always ask if it’s part of a series because each individual book is part of a bigger piece. Since HUNGER is book one of four in a series, it establishes the look of the books to follow.
I recently read an article on trends in YA cover art. Do cover trends play into your ideas for designs? Also, where do you find the balance in prioritizing the message at the heart of a novel and including marketing at the same time? Or, do you feel cover art’s main focus always revolves around the art?
To me, art is about communication, and the final product is a combination of all the pieces of a puzzle. I don’t want to follow the trends; I hope I can be a part of setting them.
How did you come about your career as a designer?
I would have to say my design career began as 4-year-old kid with my first set of Mr. Sketch Scented Markers.
When I was 10 I got my first computer, an Apple 2E. At this point, I discovered McPaint. My mother told me her prediction, that I would one day create art on this computer. (Naturally, I thought she was crazy)
In high school I spent six weeks at RISD summer arts program. This really changed my life.
I went to Syracuse and majored in Illustration and spent one summer abroad in Italy studying art history. To say this experience was influential is an understatement.
A few years and a few odd jobs after college, I got my first opportunity to design books full time at Houghton Mifflin in the college text book cover division.
After a year there, I got my first job in Children’s book design with Planet Dexter, an imprint of Penguin Putnam.
Unfortunately Planet Dexter was a casualty of the .com bust and was cut from Penguin’s line up. So I was out of job, but that was the best thing to ever happen to me because I got a job at Simon & Schuster in NYC.
I worked at S&S for 10 years and really matured as an artist and a person. I just recently left Simon & Schuster to pursue a career as a freelance artist, and I’m really enjoying all the new opportunities that has come with freelancing. Now I’m illustrating and designing book covers and creating apps for publishing houses. Turns out my mother was right.
But moms are always right, aren’t they? 
Thanks for the interview, Sammy.
To see more of his design work, you can visit Sammy’s website, or become a fan of his on Facebook.
