Thursday, February 25, 2010

Book covers: working in 3D, in concert with the author


Victoria 4 is still rare on this blog ... I don't work with her very often. As I've said a few times, there's oceans of fantasy female images out there, you don't need me to add more! But sometimes the job needs Victoria, and Michael 4 just won't do! Like the ebook cover I just did for Sara Lansing ... this was a great exercise for me, because I had the author sitting right beside me saying, "blond," "redhead," "nose larger," "eyes greener" and so on. Driving the software on command was something new -- a challenge. I am reliably informed, I passed the test!

The biggest challenge in this piece was starting with two identical dolls and making them look very different, and lifelike. Victoria 4 is a piece of plastic. Sorry, you designer dudes at DAZ, but she's Barbie. She's so un-lifelike as she hits the DAZ Studio 3 stage, I reckon I've seen more life in a kid's toybox. What's wrong with Victoria 4? Her eyes are too huge and her body is as spaghetti-like as a 14-year-old gymnast, except for the mammaries, which are as well developed as was never seen upon a 14-year-old gymnast. A teenage guy designed Victoria 4. Duh. 

You work hard to make Victoria 4 look alive -- especially if you don't yet have the Morphs++ for the base model, and I don't! They're $30, and since I don't have much use for them, I've never bothered getting them. If I get more commissions to produce artwork featuring females, of course I'll get them, but right now, there's still so much I need for the Michael models.

This is just a very short post. Basically, I wanted to share the really nice cover! Sara's delighted with it and so am I. But I'll be back later with guy-candy.

Jade, 26 February