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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Resource Show off your fanfic cover, or request one!

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Iverna, Jul 12, 2011.

  1. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Concrit? OK. But keep in mind that this is coming from a person who has an ACE (former Photoshop certificate issued by Adobe) and mild chromesthesia. Given what you said about your graphic skills in general, you're pretty good, actually. :)

    I would try a different colour for the logo in the first image. The yellow is killing me and I have seen blue, red and white on SW covers, so you wouldn't actually be breaking the rule if you do it. Some light dropshadow and slight blending with added transparency could help as well. The typeface can be outline, like it's on my cover.

    Another two small issues I see here are the difference in colours on the element on the right and the fact that the main starship is just floating. Some sort of "schwung" could be applied to it.

    The second cover looks much more natural, but the said schwung, or anything else that would imply that the ship is moving would make it even better. Yellow could be transitioning to gold in order to fit with the top image and the top image, which I assume has been copied and pasted, could use some extra background removal, as I can see bits of white here and there.

    Now, this is just me, but I would add a couple more speeders deep, deep below, possibly removing the cars. Or I would cut out the very bottom of the picture, so it's less earthy and more starwarsy.
     
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  2. whiskers

    whiskers Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 19, 2005
    As I've said before, the majority of my use of GIMP is to simply transpose pictures onto a uniform background, so that's kind of what I did here.

    It does look weird on such a light background. I'll see what I can do.

    The crashed speeder was kind of an afterthought, I will admit. As for "schwung", I have absolutely no idea on how to implement motion blur, so I guess I'll have to read the GIMP manual more fully.

    Changing colors mid-letter is something I also have no idea to do. I'll also have another go with the eraser tool on the Dark Forces logo, as well.


    Okay, now I just feel like a fool! :p

    Thanks, Ewok Poet!
     
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  3. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    So, this is where I ask if GIMP supports layers, as this is something one has to have layers for - even for text. I tried it back in the days, but that must've been over a decade ago.
     
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  4. whiskers

    whiskers Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 19, 2005
    It does have layers, but I don't know if it's where I can layer text over and under other text. As I said, I need to RTKM.
     
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  5. whiskers

    whiskers Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 19, 2005
    Sorry for the double post, but I gave the second one another try. Added some motion blur to the Crow as well as a new background with no cars in it. Added some minor blur to that as well. Recut the logo (finding out that you could use rectangle select to create guides was a lifesaver on the letters.)

    [​IMG]

    EDIT: Let me see if there's a way to give a bit more blur around the engines tomorrow. That'll help it out a bit more.
     
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  6. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

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    Aug 14, 2002
    Ooh. Sweet.
     
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  7. whiskers

    whiskers Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 19, 2005

    I'm still not 100% happy with it. I'd like to mix the lighting on the Crow to match the background a bit more. To the manual I will go, LOL.
     
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  8. Trisdin Gheer

    Trisdin Gheer Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 18, 2013
    Seeing this thread reminded me of a (non-SW) cover I knocked together a while back:

    [​IMG]

     
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  9. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

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    Jul 31, 2014
    Trisdin Gheer, that is not a valid image extension, plus FFN doesn't seem to allow you to link it. :(
     
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  10. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    whiskers

    The background is a definite improvement on the first cityscape, which was so Earthlike like the city where I work, it was jarring.

    Trisdin's pic works A-OK for me.
     
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  11. Trisdin Gheer

    Trisdin Gheer Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 18, 2013
    Yeah, I think it's fixed now. Had to screenshot the pic, crop it in Paint and upload it to a non-Imgur site. :confused:
     
  12. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    The current, perhaps temporary cover for Letters Never Sent. Just like the cover of The Black Star is the fur of one of the story's protagonists, Gredda, the cover of this one is the fur of the story's protagonist, Lil. I plan to frankenstein his recording device in the future, but the fur might as well remain on the cover next to it.

    Click to see the larger image.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2018
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  13. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    Went back and fixed my image links to my two lone covers.

    I should make covers again. Even if it's just random stuff designed to look like a cover.
     
  14. Gahmah Raan

    Gahmah Raan Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2015
    I'm going through a minor case of artist's block when it comes to deciding what should be depicted on the Paranormalities: Episode III's prologue's cover art.

    One idea is depicting Dynn with the Forceless Arm attached and battered considering the former's the lead character of this chapter. However, on one hand, it can spoil the fact that Dynn is back from the dead (unless you're not that far into the story yet and not realized that Dynn died at all), but on the other hand, it was something to be expected after Valkor teased Zolph over it at the end of Episode II.

    Or if I'm not feeling risky enough, I can use this as an excuse to solidify my mental image of Admon Onae and depict him (as well as his Murigan-design lightsaber, which is basically the same technology as Mortaqa's lightscythe).
     
  15. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

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    May 11, 2011
    Just out of curiosity, but what are the typical dimensions (pixel resolution, size ratio, orientation, etc.) folks here tend to use for their cover art?
     
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  16. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    I'd be interested in this as well. I can't make anything decent to save my life, but I've played around before and had no real clue about sizes and such.
     
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  17. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    Anyway, here's the first cover I've knocked out in at least a couple years:

    [​IMG]

    Edit: Thanks goes out to Chyntuck for a bit of advice on composition and lettering.
     
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  18. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    So I know nothing about photoshop but I was feeling creative so I hand made a cover. I also can't draw or write nicely, but here it is.
    I realized after I finished I forgot to put Star Wars on it. :oops: I'd add it, but I don't know how without making it look like the afterthought that it is.

    [​IMG]
    Also, wrinkly, dry paper is hard to write on.
     
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  19. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

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    Jul 31, 2014
    Would you like me to do that for you? I can also experiment with colour levels.
     
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  20. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 10, 2005
    That would be fantastic if you have the time and inclination. :D
     
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  21. Tarsier

    Tarsier Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2005
    mavjade I love your handwriting! And the worn paper look is perfect. (Is that actual text from the story faded in the background?) Sometimes I find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make "Star Wars" look right on the cover. I think it is okay to leave it off.
     
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  22. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    Thank you Tarsier ! I've been practicing my 'nice' handwriting, my normal handwriting is... legible, usually. :p
    Yep, the faded text in the background are parts of letters from the story. I was going to add a little clue to the end, but I ran out of space and just left it off.
     
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  23. madman007

    madman007 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 22, 2007
    Hey all! Just found this thread. I have also created my own covers for my stories. Though I am Graphic Design major, I'm only an intermediate when it comes to Photoshop. Most of my covers need work in detail but I don't have the time to really work on them. One of my favorites is the cover I did for my epic, Introducing Mary Jane Skyler. See below and critique all you want.

    [​IMG]
     
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  24. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014

    Sorry for taking me some time to get back to you. I...forget stuff and I need to-do lists, which I forget to make.

    Here it is. I tried to make it look like it was written with a sharpie.

    [​IMG]

    I can fade it a bit.
     
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  25. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    Ewok Poet - Awesome, it looks great! Thank you!!
     
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