Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!
*Late Edition*
This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful covers!
It also provides information,
if available, on their
very talented creators!
if available, on their
very talented creators!
Here's my choice for this week!
The Muse
Jessie Burton
Hardcover, 416 pages
Ecco
July 26, 2016
Art, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Jessie Burton
Hardcover, 416 pages
Ecco
July 26, 2016
Art, Historical Fiction, Mystery
My Thoughts About This Cover
This is a rather whimsical, yet visually stunning cover that instantly caught my eye when I first found it, during a Google search.
I love the symmetrical design, the dark background, the splashes of bright colors, and the way the snakes intertwine with the leafy branches. I also love the main color, which is a very bright blue-green.
It's interesting how the two pistols at the top of the cover mimic the intertwining action of the snakes at the bottom. Or is is the other way around?
There's all this movement, so, in spite of the design's symmetry, the viewer never gets bored while staring at this cover! That's because, even within the symmetry, there's movement that counters movement, in opposite directions. For instance, the two pistols are pointing outward, while the snakes, as well as the paint brushes above them, are pointing inward, toward the title. The leafy branches behind the paint brushes, though, point outward, like the pistols. All this creates a LOT of visual interest!
The title uses a font inspired by the Art Deco style, although a bit more ornamental, and yes, whimsical, too. The author's name is done in a plainer, more understated font, and is gray, while the title font is white.
One small, but VERY important detail is that this cover doesn't have a lot of "cover chatter", which is additional information that is frequently placed on book covers and, more often than not, end up ruining the entire design. On this cover, this "chatter" has been kept to a minimum, and has been placed at the very top of the over, where it's clearly visible, yet does not intrude on the overall design. Kudos to the artist for that, as this is a pet peeve of mine regarding book covers!
This artist's love of typography is more than evident, not only on this cover, but on other covers she's illustrated, such as the ones for Wink Poppy Midnight, by April Genevieve Tucholke, Wicked Like a Wildfire, by Lana Popović, and The Wicked Deep, by Shea Ernshaw.
At first sight, this looks like a fantasy cover, and that's part of what drew me in, as well. Upon looking closer, the viewer notices the two pistols and the old-fashioned typewriter. Hardly fantasy elements! But again, the whole style of the cover would lead one to believe that this is, indeed a fantasy novel.
The artist responsible for this GORGEOUS cover is Lisa Perrin, an award-winning illustrator who wears several hats: illustrator, designer, collaborator, entrepreneur, and educator.
She earned her MFA in Illustration Practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2013, and is based in Cleveland, Ohio (USA). Although she's currently working for American Greetings card company, her clients include Macy's, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Scholastic, The Saturday Evening Post, Buzzfeed.com, and many others.
Her work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, 3X3 Magazine, and Print Magazine.
I love the symmetrical design, the dark background, the splashes of bright colors, and the way the snakes intertwine with the leafy branches. I also love the main color, which is a very bright blue-green.
It's interesting how the two pistols at the top of the cover mimic the intertwining action of the snakes at the bottom. Or is is the other way around?
There's all this movement, so, in spite of the design's symmetry, the viewer never gets bored while staring at this cover! That's because, even within the symmetry, there's movement that counters movement, in opposite directions. For instance, the two pistols are pointing outward, while the snakes, as well as the paint brushes above them, are pointing inward, toward the title. The leafy branches behind the paint brushes, though, point outward, like the pistols. All this creates a LOT of visual interest!
The title uses a font inspired by the Art Deco style, although a bit more ornamental, and yes, whimsical, too. The author's name is done in a plainer, more understated font, and is gray, while the title font is white.
One small, but VERY important detail is that this cover doesn't have a lot of "cover chatter", which is additional information that is frequently placed on book covers and, more often than not, end up ruining the entire design. On this cover, this "chatter" has been kept to a minimum, and has been placed at the very top of the over, where it's clearly visible, yet does not intrude on the overall design. Kudos to the artist for that, as this is a pet peeve of mine regarding book covers!
This artist's love of typography is more than evident, not only on this cover, but on other covers she's illustrated, such as the ones for Wink Poppy Midnight, by April Genevieve Tucholke, Wicked Like a Wildfire, by Lana Popović, and The Wicked Deep, by Shea Ernshaw.
At first sight, this looks like a fantasy cover, and that's part of what drew me in, as well. Upon looking closer, the viewer notices the two pistols and the old-fashioned typewriter. Hardly fantasy elements! But again, the whole style of the cover would lead one to believe that this is, indeed a fantasy novel.
The artist responsible for this GORGEOUS cover is Lisa Perrin, an award-winning illustrator who wears several hats: illustrator, designer, collaborator, entrepreneur, and educator.
She earned her MFA in Illustration Practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2013, and is based in Cleveland, Ohio (USA). Although she's currently working for American Greetings card company, her clients include Macy's, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Scholastic, The Saturday Evening Post, Buzzfeed.com, and many others.
Her work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, 3X3 Magazine, and Print Magazine.
Online Links
What do you think of
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!
