Dimplemeyer's Design Cover Sketch

I've been working on this book for quite a long time now (it will be a year in September!) and I'm ready for it to be done. Not because I'm sick of it, but because I've been working on it for so long I'm ready for it to finally come to life! It's finally starting to come alive in my eyes now that I'm adding color to my sketches. I like to add color and lighting as much as I can before painting so I can figure out colors and change them all I want on photoshop. That way I know exactly what colors to make and use for the final painting.

This sketch isn't finished yet, although it's pretty close. I'm missing a few things important objects in the image and I still haven't figured out the title design yet. First is the initial sketch idea, rough with some lighting. Second I have the line drawing with details and better composition. Third, I added color and value to create the mood and interest. Fourth, I used the "gradient map" effect in Photoshop to check my values. I think they are pretty close to where I want them.

Of course the painting will not be exactly like I did in Photoshop. Computer programs have fancy abilities that good ol' painting doesn't....like layers that you can "multiply" (that's how I did the bottles in the foreground to make them slightly transparent looking). But now I have a good guide for when I am painting and I know what colors go where and what kind of effect I'm going for.

More sketches to come from Dimplemeyer's Design. It's still quite a ways away until the book is finished, but now that it's coming to life, my motivation is renewed!