Barbara Ivie: 2013

Friday, October 25, 2013

Believe in Me! Contemporary Romance

Believe in Me!

I just finished creating this book cover for my friend and author Mishael Austin Witty. This one was certainly a challenge to bring to life!

When I first came across the photo of the interior of the house I wanted to use it because it immediately conjured images of coming back home for Christmas which is the backdrop of this story. The only problem was that when I first encountered it the house was empty and the lights were not on. Well- with the exception of the garland on the banister. LOL!

Mishael focuses her efforts on the family and I created the computer graphic of the blue house to reflect that about her writing and to use it as an icon for further stories in her contemporary romances.

My next challenge was to find the images of the people to play the parts and work inside the constraints of the first one . . . which as you can imagine wasn't easy! I was pretty excited to find these models that fit so well in the story and who bring the characters to life. In fact, they made such a cute couple I couldn’t help but turn the lights on and decorate a little for the holiday. I used several semi-transparent layers to create the effect.

Believe in Me, is a complex story about a couple that is facing the possibility of a heartbreaking split. The banister created a nice division between the main characters. Our heroine has been invited home by her parents but she finds more than she bargained for. Trina, dubbed “Red Lips” by me for obvious reasons, who is sitting on the steps struggling with the situation, while her estranged husband, dubbed “Mr. Temptation”, is in the kitchen looking all too inviting. This was very indicative of their situation in this story where this troubled couple is on the verge of divorce, but he’s not giving up without a fight. It was actually very fun to portray the dilemma graphically. She’s just not quite sure of whether or not she can, or is even ready to believe.

Perfect for the Christmas holiday -I hope you are tempted by the cover!

To find the book: http://www.amazon.com/Believe-in-Me-ebook/dp/B008EDNBD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1382719244&sr=1-1&keywords=believe+in+me+mishael

Be sure to check out Mishael Austin Witty’s author page:https://www.facebook.com/MishaelAustinWitty

Monday, July 15, 2013

Fantasy Art

I created this image for my friend and author Trace Broyles for her epic fantasy Estelan. I loved the story and knew it needed something that showed the magic and imagery that the story evokes.

I started this with a sketch of the woman Kitin, and then created this image from a mixture of many drawings of her which were enhanced in the computer. I also incorporated photos and graphics special effects. It may surprise you to know which ones were drawn and which were photos. LOL!

Framed Poster

Book Cover

The book cover was made to look like bound leather with a strap. Embossed Celtic motif at the corners which I also drew decorate the front and back. I wanted something to showcase this story that looked like a an enchanted leather bound book. Creating the texture of the leather and the embossed details and fonts that looked like they had been pressed into the leather was exciting to do.

To view book in stores

Full Cover

This is the full cover complete with yet another example of the celtic scroll work I did for this story. Making it glow with the same energy that ripples through the fantastic world that author Trace Broyles had created.

Front Cover

Judging a book by it's cover. Front covers are normally all that a readers see now days in ebooks. It has to tell a story in a very limited amount of time. With such a feminine character chosen to be one the cover of this epic fantasy piece, especially with those lavender bands of energy surrounding her it was decided that a dark leather would appeal to both female and male readers alike.