The Wishing Pendant by T.C. Cooke is a children's/teen fantasy novel published by Balancing Planet Pictures. I was hired to create the cover layout and illustration.
Process
I first started out with sketches in Procreate, working from the descriptions, inspiration, and synopsis I was given from the author and publisher.
Above are snapshots of the illustration process. Drawn and painted in Procreate. (middle image) I also used Clip Studio Paint's 3D modeler to block the poses for the main characters.
While I was in the painting process for the illustration, I explored different fonts and styles for the title and subtitle. We chose Modern Antiqua, and from their I played around with sizing, kerning, and creative positioning of works and letters to give it a spooky feeling.
A pendant also needed to be implemented into the design. I was given a rough design for the symbol from the author, then refined it into a pendant in Procreate. I experimented with different layouts for the chain, intending for it to be positioned with the title.
Full cover layout put together in InDesign
Animated gif version of the front cover, to be used on the publisher's website. Animated in Photoshop.
