Basketball Cover Figure

Another one of the books I am doing for the Jake Maddox series is a new basketball book. The difference between this cover figure and the two I showed earlier is that, on the other two, I had read the books and already illustrated the interiors. I had already lived with the characters for a bit and had a good feel for them artistically.

This and the next one I am going to show I was asked to illustrate with no idea what the story was about, who the characters were, or what they even looked like.

I never like doing covers this way as I fell the cover should be the last piece you do when you illustrate a book. I feel it should be the best of the interior work and really portray a good sense of what happens in the book. Drawing the cover this way and having the cover be my first stab at the character always feels very backwards to me.

But, there are deadlines to meet and I understand this. I don't have to like it, I just have to do it.

But, I still think the piece came out well and I'm looking forward to starting the interior of the book sometime this week.

Have a great day.