March 2019 - Classic Cover - Final entries

Classic Cover

Brief: Create a cover illustration for a classic Science Fiction novel of your choice (text not required unless you want it).

Deadline: [strike]Midnight on Sunday the 31st of March.[/strike] VOTING OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON THE 9TH OF APRIL.

This is where you post your Final entries. Your works in progress should be posted over here:
cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...9-classic-cover-wips

Challenge rules and guidelines:
cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...s/39-challenge-rules

Rules in brief:

• All challenge entries must be your own work.
• You should post at least two WIP images that are clearly different from your final entry and each other.
• Your final entry should contain your image (inserted so it shows up full size) and at least two links to your WIP posts on the forum.
• No chatter in the finals thread – if you have questions, post them in the WIP thread or PM an admin.
• Feedback is allowed & encouraged together with the voting and in the WIP thread.
• Deadline is given in UK time (midnight GMT) with a grace period of 5 minutes for getting the post sorted.
• Each member may cast one vote.
• No cheating! Admins may decide to disqualify an entry that does not adhere to the above rules.

WINNER: HANSNOMAD (see image below)

As I suspected--almost missed the deadline due to business travel. Just remembered it was the end of the month so here goes (before I forget again).

WIP 01: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...r-wips?start=0#24046
WIP02: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=10#24079
WIP03: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=20#24135

It won't come as much of a surprise but I've ran out of time on this one (again) but though I would post to make up the numbers. Really disappointed I dont have time to finish but this has been sitting in my head for so long now that I'm bored of it.
Still, here's Dune.
I hope you don't mind me posting two but I wanted to show both the way the image would wrap around the spine and as you would see the image from the front.

Wip 1

Wip 2

Wow this really hasn't changed since my last wip eh?

Another last minute job.
Too many early failures, started this idea too late, played too much Morrowind, got too little sleep but...
I managed to "finish."

WIP is Peace.

Sorry for the delay, voting poll is now open until midnight on the 9th.

I have to go with Hansnomad this month.

Atto's picture would be an easy winner any other month. Even though you wanted to work on it more it still works brilliantly with the face echoing into the distance and positioning the planet to also work as a halo is a fine visual trick. If you were to add more work the only thing I'd want to see is a bit more blending on the first face to break the edge of the contours, but that's just personal preference. The bolder, stylized look does still have its own appeal and fits in with the concept of a book cover. And I liked seeing it as wrap-around too!

However, Hansnomad has pulled out a special one this time. Everything works for me. The portraits are spot on, the composition fits the book cover format without being limited by it and the overlapping elements provide so much depth and interest.
The whole image is a triumph of technique and design and if the story didn't exist already then I'd want it to be written just so it could have this cover!
You win!

I’m at work so this has to be a quick one.
I have to agree with Val this month. That’s an awesome cover Hans. Just the portrait of Rachael would have swung it for me but your overall composition is great.

Atto: I think your cover evokes the design and art direction for a paperback book cover the best of all of us. As I said in one of my earlier comments--I could easily see it on a shelf at Barnes and Noble. It's unfortunate that you ran out of time because you could have pushed that great design a bit further to maybe include some additional visual elements of the series to tie everything together within that wonderful wrap-around cover you composed. Great job.

Valence: You came in at the end and came on strong. I love the color palette and the palpable sense of loneliness and paranoia that the composition evokes. I especially like the amorphous figures rising up around the character that threaten to surround and envelop him, like choking smoke. The eyes watching from the numbers in the title were a nice (and unsettling) touch.

I will cast my vote for Valence this time.

Great work all. Catch you next time around.

Voting is closed for this month and the winner is hansnomad, congratulations.


(p.s. Atto, that apostrophe is in the wrong place)

Well Done, hansnomad!