Indiana Jones and the Smoking Mirror

tocksic

New member
Ladies and Gentlemen: The book! :p 189 MS Word pages. In the paperback/pdf/epub those will be around 350. Stay tuned!

seiten.jpg
 

tocksic

New member
EddyW said:
Fantastic! Would you mind sharing a more high res version of the artwork?

When the project is wrapped, Martin (the artist) and I will provide a zip-file via download containing the artwork and the cover both in higher resolution. :whip:
 

tocksic

New member
EddyW said:
Fantastic! Would you mind sharing a more high res version of the artwork?
After all we decided to share the artwork right now, so no one has to wait till the project is wrapped. :) You can download the cover in different variations including German and English title here: http://indyroman.blogspot.com/p/download.html
Please everybody downloading it mind the README file provided with the pictures! :gun:
 

tocksic

New member
"Indiana Jones and the Smoking Mirror" will contain a few "prop" diary/notebook pages for all the hardcore fans out there. :)

der-rauchende-spiegel-notes.jpg


Don't miss becoming a fan over at Facebook, for all updates on this project - including a possible future translation to English. :whip:
 
Tocksic, please don't take this the wrong way. I really, really love the artwork and wish I could read the novel (I've my fingers crossed for an English translation). However, I just don't like the current layout of the cover. Consider this constructive criticism and not a slight against you or your work. I just feel your name is way too prominent on the cover. I'm not trying to diminish you or your work, but it's just a matter of aesthetics. Pretty much any Indy poster or book cover more prominently features the name of the character. I think that makes more aesthetic sense too since that's the real draw and what you want the viewer's eye to engage on.


I created a few alternate covers real fast in Photoshop to illustrate my point.



smokingmirror.png




Anyway, again, really really impressed with the work you've shared so far. Just thought I'd offer my two cents.. :hat:
 
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DoomTown

Member
Love the cover! (Is that Ray Liotta?) And I do agree with RA, a little less of your name suits the cover MUCH better. My german is getting better (living in Austria now) but I'm still looking forward to this translated to english!

Good luck with it! :hat:
 

tocksic

New member
@RA: I know what you mean, but on the other hand there was a plan behind the cover art. The layout was meant to be the close to that one ToD Poster. Where the Logo is on the lower left.

indiana_jones_and_the_temple_of_doom_ver3.jpg


If you watch the Smoking Mirror cover you will see that those rocks on the lower left desperately need the logo on it, else there is to much space where "nothing is happening", which would be a big design fauxpas. ;) And to make the name on top smaller is no good idea to, because it would cause an imbalance in the header. I'm sorry I can't explain that better, because my English is to limited for that. :p
But I really appreciate your feedback! :cool: :whip:
 
tocksic said:
@RA: I know what you mean, but on the other hand there was a plan behind the cover art. The layout was meant to be the close to that one ToD Poster. Where the Logo is on the lower left.

indiana_jones_and_the_temple_of_doom_ver3.jpg


If you watch the Smoking Mirror cover you will see that those rocks on the lower left desperately need the logo on it, else there is to much space where "nothing is happening", which would be a big design fauxpas ;) And to make the name on top smaller is no good idea to, because it would cause an imbalance in the header. I'm sorry I can't explain that better, because my English is to limited for that. :p
But I really appreciate your feedback! :cool: :whip:


I know exactly what you mean about the dead-space, but I tried to mitigate that by placing your name there.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
tocksic, I have to agree with RA.

Your artwork is incredible. RA's repositioning and re-sizing of your name and title make the artwork appear to flow more comfortably. The traditional colours of the Indy logo sit more naturally above the image. Despite your creative talents, Indiana Jones is the main attraction, and should be the first words the reader sees. From then the eye travels down the image, until finally discovering the creator's name.

As RA wrote, it's just a matter of aesthetics.

EDIT: I don't see a problem with the blank space of the rocks, as long as your own name goes there. It has the effect of guiding the eye diagonally from Indy's face, through the other characters (along the line of Indy's swinging feet), to the galloping horse.
 

tocksic

New member
I get the thing with the name. Maybe I try to rework something there. But being a professional graphic designer for a decade, I have to strongly disagree with the idea of taking the logo on top and letting the rocks be an element of their own in the composition - only covering them with a small name. My old instructor would rip my head of. :p

But I will reconsider the ration of name/logo and post a new version when it's done. (y)

edit: Maybe I have another idea how the logo could go on top but not leaving the rocks naked. Stay tuned.
 
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Montana Smith

Active member
tocksic said:
edit: Maybe I have another idea how the logo could go on top but not leaving the rocks naked. Stay tuned.

Place your name like this?

ROBERT
ANDERSEN

That would fill the rock space, without cutting across the other artwork.
 

tocksic

New member
Montana Smith said:
Place your name like this?

ROBERT
ANDERSEN

That would fill the rock space, without cutting across the other artwork.

Like we would share one brain! (y) I just have to find the right fonttype that matches this position. :)
 

Montana Smith

Active member
tocksic said:
Like we would share one brain! (y) I just have to find the right fonttype that matches this position. :)

I wish we shared the same language, too - as I'll have to await the English translation of Smoking Mirror!

:hat:
 
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