cover art breakthrough

I'm getting my camera and scanner (and computer) looked at tomorrow, so I can't show it to you today, but I finally-- finally-- had a breakthrough moment about my new cover illustration for Water from a Skull.

The cover design I'm likely sticking with (barring last-minute changes of mind) can be found here; that link also includes links to other sites showing cover designs for "serious" books. The major departure from the above-linked cover is that the official cover won't show Dalma Daesa; instead, it'll show a crucial moment in the "water from a skull" story of Wonhyo: a skull held high, pouring out water, held up by a thin arm partially covered by what appears to be the sleeve of a Buddhist monk's robe. Since I'm sure a lot of people won't "get it" when they first see the image and read the title, I'll probably include a brief, small-print explanation of the cover art at the front of the book.

I'm a minimalist when it comes to design; when there's too much activity on a book's cover, it's sometimes hard to take the cover seriously. A single image to which the eye is drawn right away is better than an image so complex that the eye is constantly distracted. I'm not saying that that aesthetic should obtain for all book covers, but for a book whose theme includes such notions as focus, discipline, contemplation, etc., it seems more apropos to take the sober route than to "clown it up," if you will.

So-- just sharing my evil glee at having finally broken through a barrier that's been bugging me for over two weeks.


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