Bad news for trees...

[avevale_intelligencer]

I'm finally starting to work on dead-tree editions of the novels so far piblished on Avevale. There will be two Nyrond volumes, one for OIK (when it is finished) and one for Lost Goats and some extra bits and bobs, some of which you may not have seen. Those will be designed like the Austin.

This is my first pass at Tetrad:




I'm not entirely happy with it--it's a compromise, and it's very generic, and the models are clearly models--but when you can't paint you do what you can do, and I'm still happy with my two fonts, and I honestly don't think the blurb is bad.

Next up is Oonaverse. No idea.

Anyway, that's one done.

Originally posted on http://avevale_intelligencer.dreamwidth.org. Comment here or there or both if you wish.

Comments

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

The general format of the cover is ok, but - and it's a big but - the horse/unicorn is really, really wrong. The forelegs are stuck on all wrong; the genitalia are not much like anything I've seen on a horse and look as though they've been stuck on with bluetack and as such draw the eye unerringly; the back legs seem odd at the thigh, the haunch is like a bustle - the haunch does not stick out like that when a horse rears. It's really not a good horse. Can you find another model?

Oh, and I'm definitely buying this when it's out.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Can I find another model? Sadly, not for free. :) The basic horse came free with DAZ Studio, and I splurged two quid for the unicorn mod. As with everything else, you gets what you pays for, and more realistic horses tend to run into double figures. I did intend to blur out the wossnames, though; they do look a bit human-sized for horse tackle (unless the phrase "hung like a horse" has been ironic all this time). I can take care of that at least.

There's not much else I can do apart from giving up on the notion of a picture altogether. I spent hours yesterday trying to bring off a simple sandstone tetrahedron against a starfield. Found out how to make a tetrahedron, textured it, positioned it, lit it, rendered it, and for some reason the edges came out bent so that it just looked like a stretched cube. At which point I gave up.

Horse aficionadoes will have to excuse me, I'm afraid. Or donate to avevale.org so that I can afford some decent models. :D

[eintx.livejournal.com]

I still can't see pictures.
I'll try again later!

[eintx.livejournal.com]

I can't draw either, but I think this is a matter for someone who can!
There must be lots of people out there who are able to draw a better unicorn (or virgin, while we're at it) than this programme or whatever it is!

(One of them even lives with you! :) But if she's busy writing or if you'd rather not work together - some couples just don't like to - well, there are still quite a few artists left. Why leave it to the computer?)

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Yes, there are lots of artists out there, and they all get paid for their work, probably not enough, but more than I can afford. I do my own, and the inevitable frustration aside, I actually enjoy it.

And since this is basically a hobby, it doesn't really matter.

[eintx.livejournal.com]

Yes, it does matter.
How about a cover without a unicorn?

[themis1.livejournal.com]

I know you said you like the font, but the back cover blurb is confusing - I spent a moment wondering who the Datican was whose agents were pursuing the heroes before I realised ... and now I'm not sure if the heroine's surname is Darland or Varland.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

I've had to reduce the resolution a good bit to make it fit into LJ (and even at that it's too big). The font is easier to read on actual book covers.