I was approach last year by Kevin Conner, who has written a fantasy series called GEB: Garden of the Gods. GEB stands for Geographical and Educational Betterment. The purpose is to encourage readers to participate in real life as well as in fiction, to help make the world a better place! He launched a Kickstarter to raise fund for producing not one, but several covers for his book.

I was one of the illustrators featured in the campaign. The project was fully funded and I want to share the cover image with you!

The Wire Frame

Before settling on this design, I had actually sketched out a total of eight different cover designs. Some of them were pretty abstract, especially since I hadn't read the book and only was given a brief synopsis of the story. The design he liked the best was this one, something that reminds me of a movie poster for a high-flying adventure.

The Sketch

The author gave the artists free reign over the design and interpretation of the characters. I had nothing to base on except what little I could derive from the short plot synopsis. I drew inspiration by one of my favorite series, The Legend of Korra and you can tell I was inspired by the young adult designs of Mako and Asami for the two protagonists.

The Line Art

In the very middle there is a giant hawk with a saddle and leather straps because the lead female is a pilot. The world contains magic and the landscape contains giant vegetation and animal life. The landing strip on the bottom leads to a cave where there is an excavation going on. This is all relevant to the story.

The Flat Colors

The island itself used to be inhabited by giants, who have since disappeared. The active volcano in the middle of the island is an important landmark in the story and a defining feature of this fantastical world. Apparently, every known variety of tree and plant grows at the base of the volcano.

The Finished Illustration

The author wanted to move away from the stereotypical Caucasian heroes and asked me to give them Mediterranean olive toned skin. Most other colors were of my choosing. I really think adding the texture overlay helped give the island a realistic feel, instead of a colorful backdrop. I purposefully tried to give the volcano a faded color because it was in the distance, not the foreground.

The author is still in the final phases of editing and putting his book together. I expect it will be ready for print soon. I am looking forward to holding a copy in my hands featuring my illustration on the front and back cover!