Painting a Published Book Cover From Start to Finish! The Whole Process Explained with Helpful Tips.
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2024
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Have you ever wondered what all goes into a book cover oil painting assignment? Let me show you from the very first email, to the photo reference, to the sketches, through the process of the finished painting itself. This is what it takes to produce a painting that ends up on the cover of a bookstore paperback! I'll even tell you when you're better off walking away from a prospective job than take it.
Time Stamps:
00:00 Teaser
00:50 Introduction
01:52 How the Process Works
03:28 Scene Description to Paint
04:04 Background Reference
06:00 Taking the Photo Reference
07:32 Starting the Painting
17:22 Painting the Foreground
20:38 Finishing Touches
21:26 Finished Painting
* all of the firearms used to make this painting are non-firing replicas. No cattle were hurt in the making of this cover art =0)
Music: CowboyTears by IlyaTruhanov Artlist.io 
Хобби
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Love the “ it’s a mad mad mad mad world”reference. One of my all-time favorites
IKR? I watch it every New Year's day, it starts the year off right. I missed watching it in 2020 and just look what happened in the world. HA, I won't make that mistake again... grin.
Steve, your art is amazing! I love seeing it on Ralph's books.
Stuck to the end because I was riveted, Steve. That was a fantastic video and what a fascinating project. I was going to ask about digital because I thought most books would be digital. My Grandad was a huge western/cowboy fan. Watched every movie he could. In Scotland, on Sundays, we had Bonanza and The High Chapparal on TV. I was just a kid but I remember vividly the paintings used for the opening and closing credits for The High Chapparal. At least I think they were paintings. Then I remembered all the western books my Grandad used to read. He always had one by his chair (along with a whisky and his pipe). Thinking back, the books all had paintings for the covers. So, your little video has brought back some happy memories from my childhood plus I watched you create a wonderful painting. I love the painting. Thanks, Steve.
What a great story Steve, and it's not too different for me growing up in a steel town in Ohio. Always a western on the tube, and a western novel laying around to pick up and fall into. Those are some great memories. I love that I'm able to help keep that tradition going. But, you're right, more and more there are digital paintings at best, or at worst some chucklehead with a computer and access to some stock photos takes a bunch of them and bashes them together to churn out a cover as quickly as possible. It's the future I'm afraid, but hey, whatcha gonna do, right? Thanks for your support and always entertaining comments. Cheers!
@@SteveAtkinsonFineArt It's great to know some publishers still value traditional art and I'm sure they hire you with the understanding of the effort and passion you bring to creating great art for them...including dressing up for the part :-). Great stuff.
Wow this is so cool
A very PRO job! Congratulations!
Thanks for watching Giovanni!
WOW
Great video Steve.interesting to get a peek behind the curtain of the process
Glad you enjoyed it Jeff!
Great result, really enjoyed from start to finish and in particular, the foreground approach.
Many thanks Peter, I appreciate your kind words and I'm glad it helped you!
Way to knock it out. Very informative. If you find yourself in South Dakota, stop by. My studio is always open.
Hi paintstorm1... right back at ya if you find yourself in Prescott, Arizona.
@@SteveAtkinsonFineArt You never know. I have family in California. An old friend used to live in Prescott if he's still alive.
Really great and informative.
Glad you liked it, thanks Thomas.
Thanks for your videos!
You're very welcome Roger, I really appreciate your support!
Thanks, great job.
Thanks Thomas, I really appreciate that... I always have so much goofy fun doing these and I hope it comes across how much I love my job. Happy Painting!!
Great work ! :)
Thank you co much Hakan! Paint on!!
Big fan of old westerns and now that i am getting back into art this video really hit a lot of points that i will use in future projects. Thank you for sharing your experience and passion for art.
Hi FF, I'm glad to hear that this was helpful to you, and best of luck in rekindling your Art. Keep in touch to let us all know how you're doing!
I love it !
Steve did you agree with the company decision for the positioning of our hero? At first I wasn't sure. But for clarity it made a lot of sense. Thanks again
I think so! Are you asking did I agree with putting him behind the downed longhorn, or in front of the dark bush? I thought the idea of having him so vulnerable and behind the cow created the excitement that makes for a good book cover. The dark bush was my idea to pop him off the background and create the focal point. Hope that helps... Thanks for watching Brian!
Absolutely! And thanks for keeping him a left handed rifle shooter. That's me.
Fascinating and very informative. Love your work. I was wondering since you retained the original, does it increase the paintings value by having it reproduced in cover art?
Hi Michael, that's an interesting and very good question. Can it increase the value of the painting? Well, it can help it to sell, but it usually doesn't bump up the value I've found. Especially it can sell easier if the gallery staff displays the book cover with the painting, or at least a short description letting the collectors know why it exists. So, if the collector is also a reader, especially of, say, Ralph Compton in this example, it can help it to get snapped up. But, that person has to walk through the door, and sometimes that can take a while, lol. Thanks for the great question, I hadn't thought of that!
Beautiful! How many hours of work from research, through to finished painting did it take to paint this? And have you ever worked with acrylic? Thanks.
Hi A.S., I didn't keep a log (though I keep telling myself I should), but I'd guesstimate it took a total of 30-40 hours. And I did used to work in acrylics. Some of my favorite artists work in acrylics such as Robert Bateman. I could never get the hang of it because it dries so quickly and it dries half a tone darker than it goes down. It makes me scream and pull out my hair, lol.