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ODACS Polychromatic 2011

JennethMarch 1, 2011ArtworkLeave a Comment

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Time for another process video! Earlier this year

Time for another process video! Earlier this year I had the opportunity to design Steve Laube’s writing craft book, Sacred Margins. The assignment was simple: ✒️ Avoid cliche writing tropes like typewriters and inkwells
🙏🏻 Invoke somber reflection and gravitas I made about 5 different cover drafts (the ones in the video plus a couple variations) and sent them over, praying that the third one would be selected. Great news: it was! We made a few adjustments, but the final version stayed very close to the original concept I sent. I love this cover because it’s simple and traditional, but still has a cinematic quality to it (something I tend to do with a lot of my covers, both fiction and nonfiction). There’s a subtle light leak overlay and a vignette that adds a sense of depth and reflection that matches the tone of the interior writing. In other drafts, I struggled with laying out the abundance of text. Between the title, subtitle, foreword, and endorsement, there was risk of them all looking a bit free-floating (like the first example). Breaking them up with torn paper was the solution. While we avoided cliche inkwells and typewriters, I was still able to add in subtle handwriting as texture behind the title, which tied everything together and unconsciously told potential readers: this is a writing book. For any writer who hasn’t yet grabbed a copy of Steve Laube’s newest book, I highly recommend doing so. If you’ve ever heard him speak at Realm Makers, this is an extension of all his excellent keynotes and breakout sessions from the last decade. I also found it encouraging and applicable for everyday life as well—not just within the confines of writing. It helped me get through some particularly difficult seasons this year, and I recommend everyone take the time to enjoy it! #processvideo #coverdesignprocess #christianwriters

Stoked to share @jjjohnson_author’s newest cover i

Stoked to share @jjjohnson_author’s newest cover in the Iggy & Oz series! I had a lot of fun illustrating this one, and it’s been tough to keep it under wraps until the reveal. JJ let me try a completely different approach from the other books in the series, and I really enjoyed learning a new art style that was something between Calvin & Hobbes and Last Kids on Earth with a bit of Scooby-Doo monster eyes. It was especially fun to teach myself how to color glowing green slime (aka snot), and I was banned from talking about it at the dinner table. A bit about the book: Iggy & Oz climb into their new friend Eddie’s attic looking for an odd wooden box from an estate sale. Because, obviously, nothing good ever comes from an old Chesterson estate sale. The box has a tiny hole. Strange instructions. And a warning that makes absolutely no sense. Then they add one wiry hair and a splash of mysterious soda called Strawberry Wind. POP! Out comes a seven-foot-tall, completely bald Sasquatch… …with a horrible cold. And when the Sasquatch blows his nose, the snot doesn’t just drip. It grows.
It bubbles.
It mutates. And suddenly Iggy, Oz, their friends, and one very sick Sasquatch are facing a rampaging, tentacled SNOT MONSTER determined to swallow the entire neighborhood. Kickstarter launches October 1st. Follow now! #middlegradefiction #booksforboys

My favorite illustrator came to town this month! I

My favorite illustrator came to town this month! I’ve been following @_picolo for years—back when his “casual Teen Titans” was just really cool fan art. Now he and @kamigarcia are wrapping up the last of the official Teen Titans graphic novels. I never knew the full origin story behind the series and how it came to be, but it was fantastic hearing both of them share how they broke into the industry and brought it all together (that’s a pun… the final book is titled ‘Together’…) Plus, Gabriel’s been a huge inspiration and education when it comes to my own illustrations, especially drawing guys. I’m stoked to study all the gorgeous art in the final book in the series. 🔥 Thank you both for coming to town! #bookrelease #authorsigning #casualteentitans

That’s a wrap on Realm Makers 2026! I’m so thankfu

That’s a wrap on Realm Makers 2026! I’m so thankful for this incredible conference and the people I get to meet and spend time with. Creativity is unquestionably an act of worship, and I’m thrilled to share it with friends. This year, I’ve been forced to grow and learn in ways that break me. Every day is a personal decision to reach through pain and trust God with His plan for my life, and Realm Makers is consistently an area I can see His hand guiding me through life’s questions and fears. The emotions finally crashed through on the drive home, and although part of me was immensely sad that certain people weren’t here this week that should have been, most of the emotions were intense gratitude for the friends I have, what God’s been doing in my life, and how He’s been guiding me. This week reminded me that God hears my prayers—even the ones I think aren’t that important—and He answers. Not always on my timetable or how I envision, but I know I’m squarely in His will, and this year, more than any other, I can tell that God has a specific plan for me if I’m brave enough to follow Him. I’m so thankful for the friends God’s given me over the years. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to hibernate. This overly caffeinated enthusiastic networker is about to crash. It was a good week. #realmmakers #realmmakers2026

This week at @realmmakers 2026, my cover design fo

This week at @realmmakers 2026, my cover design for Daughter of Light by @morganlbusse won first place in the cover design category for the Realm Awards. I can’t say I’ve ever given an acceptance speech dressed as Batgirl, but this is a year of growing out of my comfort zone… That, and Realm Makers is known for its ambitious costume dinners. Special thanks to Scott and Becky Minor for hosting a consistently wonderful conference. This moment is a result of a chain reaction of people who’ve been profoundly influential in my design work. My grad school professors helped me discover a love for cover design, and when I posted my school projects online, I caught the eye of Ben Wolf, who contracted me for a nonfiction craft book and also introduced me to Kirk DouPonce. Kirk quickly became a mentor in all things cover design, and Ben helped me build my portfolio by sending me his editing clients for cover work. One year at Realm Makers, I pitched my own novel to Steve Laube, and though he was interested in my concept, he was far more interested in the words “cover designer” on my business card. A 15 minute pitch session turned into 45, and by the end of the conference, he and @jamiesfoley gave me an assignment that would serve as my application to Enclave’s design team: redesign Daughter of Light. When I turned in my draft, Enclave quickly contracted me to do official re-covers for the entire trilogy. None of this would be possible without people willing to give me a chance and take a little risk on someone new. I’m especially grateful to God for amazing family, friends, and opportunities, and it’s been especially encouraging to see His hand guiding me through every step, even through some incredibly difficult seasons this year. I’m so thankful for this creative group of people and the Christ-centered community at Realm Makers. I’m consistently encouraged, loved, and mentored every year in unique and personal ways that grow both my skills, my creativity, and my faith. Full photo dump from the week coming soon. For once, I did better at photos this year! #realmmakers #realmawards #realmmakers2026

We have less than a month before the @RealmMakers

We have less than a month before the @RealmMakers conference in St. Louis! What’s on your packing list? Here’s mine: 👇🏻👇🏻 1. 📋A list of goals. Writer’s conferences are FAST moving, and it’s easy to get swept along with all the happenings. To make the most of your time, I found it helpful to go into the event with concrete goals. Sometimes it’s “pitch my novel.” Sometimes it’s just “research a specific publisher.” This year, I want to get eyes on my query letter and weigh the pros and cons of indie vs trad publishing. 2. 🗒️One Sheets. This is your book’s one page “resume” that you hand publishers and agents during your pitch sessions. They don’t have to be fancy, but it’s important to share the title, word count, genre, plot synopsis, and a short author bio. For mine, I also like to list tropes and themes in a bulleted list down the side. 3. 📚Books for autographs! There are so many amazing authors who attend writer’s conferences, and it can be a great place to get your books signed and spend one-on-one time with your favorite authors. Just be sure to leave room in your suitcase for more, because you’ll definitely be returning home with more books than you brought. 4. ♣️Business cards. Even if you’re just starting out, sharing a business card means sharing a connection. Leave them on public tables, and end every conversation by swapping with others. Including your face, name, and business type on your card helps people remember you long after the conference is over. 5. 🔥Most importantly… COSPLAY. Not every writer’s conference does this, but if you’re attending Realm Makers this year, you’ll want to participate in the annual costume party. People go all out, showing their unique creativity beyond just writing. What did I miss? What packing advice would you give to a first-time attendee? And, most importantly, who are you cosplaying as??? #RealmMakers #writersconferences #writingadvice

I’m SUPER excited to share that Daughter of Light

I’m SUPER excited to share that Daughter of Light by @morganlbusse is a Realm Award finalist for best book cover design! This is the first time one of my covers has made it to the short list! Daughter of Light is particularly special to me. I went to pitch my novel to Steve Laube at Realm Makers, and though he enjoyed my concept, he was far more interested in the words “cover designer” on my business card. A 15 minute pitch session became 45, and by the end of the conference, I had an assignment that would serve as my application to Enclave’s design team: redesign Daughter of Light. When I turned in my draft (which ended up being the final), Enclave immediately hired me to complete the series as official re-covers. I’m deeply thankful to Steve and the rest of Enclave for taking a chance on me. Designing for Enclave has opened so many doors, and I’m excited to continue doing what I love! Congrats to the other four finalists, as well as the others in additional categories! #realmawards #coverdesign #designprocess

Design a book cover with me! I loved the chance t

Design a book cover with me! I loved the chance to design @mariposa.aristeo’s newest novel, KINGS OF DAWN & DUSK, releasing this November from @enclavepublishing! This YA retelling of The Prince and the Pauper is the sequel to Sons of Day & Night and is available to preorder in hardcover today on Amazon or through Enclave’s direct store at a 20% discount. Like the first book, I wanted to design the cover to convey symmetry, echoing the twin element to the story. If you look closely, the cracks in the cover are all still exactly symmetrical, with a couple of intentional pieces pulling away on their own to “break” the symmetry, just like the cracks have broken Twinsbane in the novel. I also made use of a kitsungi texture to add additional breaks and layers of interest. (For those who don’t know, kitsungi is the Japanese pottery art form of filling cracks with gold.) I really enjoyed working on the sequel cover, but my computer didn’t. Although the swirls look simple, they’re actually a complex amalgamation of masks and groups to trick the eye into thinking that the swirls are overlapping each other. With the swirls, cracks, and extra textures and leaves, the dust jacket file has at least a hundred layers/adjustments, and is over 2GB in size. 😬 Thank you to Enclave for continued opportunities! I love designing for you! And congrats to Mariposa for a successful cover reveal day! 🥳 ☀️ ABOUT THE BOOK: 🌙 The giant cracks fissuring the kingdom of Twinsbane threaten to divide the world into eternal day and night. Many believe the rift is a divine sign to sever the last connection between every twin, but the truth is far darker than anyone could imagine. With no one left to trust, King Daccias turns to his doppelgänger, Waruu, in hopes of vanquishing the Separator’s power over the land. But to restore the kingdom and right the wrongs of the past, both boys must be willing to sacrifice everything—including each other. #mariposaaristeo #enclavepublishing #sonsofdayandnight #chroniclesoftwinsbane #retellings theprinceandthepauper classicsretold coverdesignprocess

Happy to announce that two of my cover designs wer

Happy to announce that two of my cover designs were selected as semi-finalists for this year’s Realm Awards! (Swipe to see the full designs.) Daughter of Light remains one of my all-time favorite designs. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to re-cover the series for Enclave Publishing, and it’s since opened the doors for many more exciting projects. Wave of Disruption pushed me into new territory, encouraging me to take the plunge into better stock photography and try some out-of-the-box thinking. It directly influenced how I approach cover design, and gave me the confidence to try more ambitious projects. Congrats to the other eight entries in the Cover Design category, and the rest of the semi-finalists across the board!

Happy to reveal the cover for @lyndseylewellen’s n

Happy to reveal the cover for @lyndseylewellen’s new time travel fantasy, KARABOS! I really enjoyed designing this one—the vertical title was a gamble, but I love how it fell right down the center of the scarab, and I thought it had a slight Egyptian hieroglyphic look to it, which of course lends itself well to the plot of the novel. I also love the font for this one… it’s equal parts sci-fi and ancient civilization, which works so well for this series. KARABOS releases in October from @enclavepublishing, but you can preorder the hardback now through Amazon or directly on Enclave’s website (20% discount). ABOUT THE NOVEL: When sixteen-year-old homeschooled entomologist Winslet Nubek enters the elite, insect-hunting Tournament of Scarabs to save her family from ruin, she expects danger and magic bugs. Not time travel. Paired with a resentful cartographer, Rafe, who doubts her every move, Winslet accidentally triggers a forbidden time scarab and launches them both into volatile jumps through an ancient world. As they struggle to hide their condition and stay in the competition, their time slips reveal buried truths about the scarabs—and the lies their glittering society is built on. With sinister forces closing in, Winslet and Rafe must capture legendary insects and expose the truth before the past bleeds into the present and destroys them both. #karabos #enclavepublishing #lyndseylewellen #yafantastybooks #timetravelbooks

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