British author Richard Epworth was bold enough to ask me to illustrate his new self-published book, "Bottleneck" and this is how it turned out.
And this is what Richard had to say about our collaborative creative experience:
"Having had my head inside my manuscript ever since I remember, I was stuck inside my fixed ideas of what message my cover should convey. I thought my cover had to somehow clearly reveal the message of the book. Seeing the beautiful quality and wide range of ideas in John's work on his web site, gave me the confidence to go with him and trust his judgement. This turned out to be a huge relief, as I had tried to control everything until then. With his encouragement I dared to forgo the sacred cows that had escaped from the pages onto my own draft cover, and return them safely to the pages where they belong. I now have a deliciously enigmatic cover that will lure people in. The whole experience brought back excitement into my project, (as my wife, family and friends etc. etc. will confirm!) It was such fun to have another creative individual involved, especially one who I wasn’t competing with. I’m really delighted with the final result, my only concern now is whether buyers of the book will be disappointed by the contents, my bit, but who cares, they will have a lovely piece of art to look at."
Hey Richard, you made it fun. Thanks
Comments (7)
Nice work! Like the way you worked in the 1's and 0's.
Posted by GarandFan | August 19, 2013 10:03 AM
Posted on August 19, 2013 10:03
CONGRATULATIONS! I like the cover, but I'm so excited for you I can't tell ya. This will be the first of many.
Posted by Yo | August 19, 2013 10:05 AM
Posted on August 19, 2013 10:05
Congrats. May this be the first of many!
Posted by Rick | August 19, 2013 10:25 AM
Posted on August 19, 2013 10:25
Thanks, guys.
I enjoy helping others fulfill a creative goal.
Posted by John Cox | August 19, 2013 11:54 AM
Posted on August 19, 2013 11:54
That's a really nice illustration. Very clever how the artwork, title, & descriptor text interplay.
The title sounds like something I might like to read. The illustration reinforces what I think about the title.
Good work, John. Dittos on the congratulations.
Posted by Terwiliger | August 19, 2013 7:12 PM
Posted on August 19, 2013 19:12
Hey T
Thank you for sharing your positive input. I'm sure Richard is hoping to get such a response from his fans in England.
A lot of what he wrote about is of a technical/theoretical nature. We were shooting for the cover art to be light and engaging.
Posted by John Cox | August 19, 2013 8:49 PM
Posted on August 19, 2013 20:49
Marvelous, John. Good luck in getting more covers.
Posted by Dr. Bob | August 19, 2013 11:57 PM
Posted on August 19, 2013 23:57