During my day job I came across the fantastic artwork of Dean Stolpmann, and I knew he was the right guy to handle the cover art for Akon’s Mission, the first book in my new historical adventure series.
His Spartan Hoplites have a very dangerous, brooding look, and that’s exactly what I have in mind for the Akon books.
I’ll update this series of posts as the cover evolves, and I’ll include relevant snippets from the conversation between myself and Dean to help explain the process.
Here’s what I sent to Dean after the introductions and he asked what I had in mind for the cover:
I’m thinking something close to what you have for your Hoplite art…What I have in mind is a young male (~22 years old) Spartan in a cloak and helmet so most of his face is shadowed, brooding and intense, with little to no background unless it’s a hint of an ancient Greek landscape, Sparta, etc. Please let me know what other information you need!
I also asked Dean to take a look at the covers for the fantastic Sharpe series by the genius Bernard Cornwell, since the Akon books will hopefully share some of the adventurous spirit of that series.
So with that information, this is what Dean sent for the color rough:
Color rough for Akon’s Mission book cover. “A color rough is a quick painting that is done to define the general color and lighting of a scene or concept and is often completed with multiple alternatives to find the best solution to the image or concept.” – Artist Ben Skutt
I am thrilled with it so far, and can’t wait to see what Dean sends next!