The author Shawn Speakman has an wonderful epic new novel out, The King-Killing-Queen, the first in a new series of fantasy stories for him. I had the privilege to illustrate the work with nine interior illustrations and a full color plate (which I have shared recently on MuddyColors. )
The cover to the novel was brilliantly executed by Magali Villeneuve!
Shawn loves working with artists, and as a writer and publisher (of Grim Oak Press) he is wonderful to work with, and one of the best! Shawn typically places an enormous level of trust in the artist and what they will create for his projects. I have been fortunate to have nearly carte blanche to interpret his work, and have done my best to deliver the highest quality of art for these books.
One aspect of this boundless freedom that I enjoy the most is the range within which I can design and conceive the body of imagery. Rather than focusing solely upon characters and portraits, I provide as varied a presentation as possible of the narrative and the world of the novel – close-ups, architecture, secondary characters, mass figure groupings, environments, etc.
The challenge is to bring a bit of unity to the work, but never let the reader get tired of the next image they will see. Below is the group of art celebrating Shawn’s novel.
Bravo! Wonderful!
Thank you, Donato.
That’s amazing! They’re exactly what I was looking for! I thank you all for sharing these wonderful and satisfying experiences with me! Now let’s go with family and friends.