Graeme Balchin, the Australian artist who painted the tree in the previous post, read a few of your comments and sent along another work of his that feels a bit “darker.” I think it address a few of the concerns readers had with the last image and it also, as he points out, gives me a better place for the title text. Let me know what you think:
Here’s a link to a larger image if you want to study it up-close.
Dagoba. I think Luke’s X-Wing is around somewhere…. :-) Seriously, it’s a beautiful image. If you write and give me some CLUE what the book is about, I really could offer more constructive feedback. Without knowing that, there’s no real way to know whether the artwork works with the story.
This guy is an amazing artist! Wow! Hugh – you should add a link here to all of his artwork for us. In terms of “plot” – this is a young adult book with a much wider than YA audience appeal. The story is adventure, coming of age as a person and as a society, some philosophical underpinnings, and some dark questions about life, friendship, and morality. Think Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies with the potential for a little more introspection. What I love about the other picture are the stairs up and around the tree as alot of the story takes place in the canopies and boughs of enormous trees. I think that the parchment paper adds some age and revere to the cover. I like THIS cover because it is just beautiful and dark. I think the first probably hits a little closer to the feel and plot though.
Here’s the link: http://graemeb.deviantart.com/gallery/
I posted it in another comment thread. Don’t worry, once we finalize a cover, the guy’s work will get its own posts. But go check his galley out. His black-and-white stuff is awesome.
On Earth? Or another planet? Future? Or undetermined time/place?
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