I had dabbled in design and Photoshop a bit, so it was a new art form that intrigued me as far as something that could be challenging and satisfying. I had started designing some for my friend Matt Phillion's book series, "The Indestructibles" which focused on teenage superheroes and their adventures as they fight to protect the world and understand their place and roles. It was a wonderful combination of the comic book world and the world of prose and fiction. I couldn't wait to get started with the covers.
I found myself creating in different ways. Soon, I had a few different designs. It started with using simple clip art to pushing myself to try other ways to build a cover.
Matt soon gave me a great opportunity to design a series of his short stories, released in e-book form. That again gave me a chance to really explore different styles and come back to my design roots in Photoshop. There was a great deal of manipulation involved but still I had to keep a lot design aspects in my mind.
Most recently, I had the chance to design the third book.
The series of emotions happening all at once was in fact a hint at the bigger picture: I wanted to keep doing this. It was, as I hoped, satisfying and rewarding.
From here I hope the opportunities keep coming from any which way so I can try new designs and explore different options. Having gained the experience with this series has really given me confidence in my work and validation as an artist. While someday I may return to the stage, I feel that my artistic and creative focus has just realigned itself, allowing me to take on new areas boldly and confidently.
To be continued...