Concept Art for Conspiracy of Kings
Jan. 8th, 2011 02:43 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
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Ok, so today I have a special present for all my lovely Megan Whalen Turner Fans! And I really hope you like it!
I have been communicating with Vince Natale, the amazingly talented artist who did all the covers for the latest American editions of Megan's books. As you may know, the cover art for Conspiracy of Kings has been a major topic of discussion, and it came up again at the Horn Book Colloquium at Simmons College last October. I saw a few sketches there that I had never seen anywhere else, and they fascinated me.
So, I got in touch with Vince Natale, and he sent me all of the concept art for COK! Plus, he will do a podcast, and will send me concept art for all the other books, too, which I can share with everybody. So, we definitely have some fun things to look forward to in the New Year!
I'm in an awful hurry just now -- family stuff calls -- so I'm just going to post the pictures with only occasional bits of commentary. Since there are a lot of them, they'll be under a cut.
BTW, you know that trend of hands holding things on book covers? Well, it reappears here! I think you can probably guess how ;-D.
Here we go -- enjoy! (And checkers, stop pacing! You're making me nervous!)
Well, I'll start with the first bit of concept art Megan showed us at Simmons. It's Sophos. And boy, does he look miserable!

Megan's reaction?: NO, NO, NO!!!
So, as you know, we got an illustration of Sophos escaping on horseback instead.

But wait! He's supposed to be blond!

That's more like it! But the editor wants a ring -- Megan writes a lion ring into the story, and finds a picture of one she likes. Also, can we pretty Sophos up a bit? And we would like a prettier horse, please!

Aargh! Egads! Mr. Natale, you are following instructions too exactly! Here is the exchange between MWT and her editor:
Editor: OMG! It's Orlando Bloom!
MWT: OMG! It's Tilda Swinton!
It is suggested that Sophos should look a bit rougher. And, as we know, nothing makes a boy look rough faster than a bit of scruff. So we get this:

Facial hair -- Sounis objects, and the rest is history -- we get our current cover!
And here are the other cover ideas.

Look! Hands holding a peashooter! And look how cleverly Vince Natale made them two left hands, so we would not be able to guess whose they were!

Well, obviously, Sophos is trying to look pathetic to get some sympathy from Berrone. But....

Sophos as dressed by Eugenides. This is such an elegant design -- and look at that embroidery!

Eugenides is not the only one who dreams of Eddis!
And now the last concept drawing...

Apricots! A cover in code! Too bad that it would have reminded everybody of Twilight.... (I guess...)
That's it for the art work. A thousand thanks to Vince Natale for sending me all these, and I hope you enjoy them!
Happy New Year, everyone, and all the best for 2011 -- I've got to run.
<3~D.
I have been communicating with Vince Natale, the amazingly talented artist who did all the covers for the latest American editions of Megan's books. As you may know, the cover art for Conspiracy of Kings has been a major topic of discussion, and it came up again at the Horn Book Colloquium at Simmons College last October. I saw a few sketches there that I had never seen anywhere else, and they fascinated me.
So, I got in touch with Vince Natale, and he sent me all of the concept art for COK! Plus, he will do a podcast, and will send me concept art for all the other books, too, which I can share with everybody. So, we definitely have some fun things to look forward to in the New Year!
I'm in an awful hurry just now -- family stuff calls -- so I'm just going to post the pictures with only occasional bits of commentary. Since there are a lot of them, they'll be under a cut.
BTW, you know that trend of hands holding things on book covers? Well, it reappears here! I think you can probably guess how ;-D.
Here we go -- enjoy! (And checkers, stop pacing! You're making me nervous!)
Well, I'll start with the first bit of concept art Megan showed us at Simmons. It's Sophos. And boy, does he look miserable!
Megan's reaction?: NO, NO, NO!!!
So, as you know, we got an illustration of Sophos escaping on horseback instead.
But wait! He's supposed to be blond!
That's more like it! But the editor wants a ring -- Megan writes a lion ring into the story, and finds a picture of one she likes. Also, can we pretty Sophos up a bit? And we would like a prettier horse, please!
Aargh! Egads! Mr. Natale, you are following instructions too exactly! Here is the exchange between MWT and her editor:
Editor: OMG! It's Orlando Bloom!
MWT: OMG! It's Tilda Swinton!
It is suggested that Sophos should look a bit rougher. And, as we know, nothing makes a boy look rough faster than a bit of scruff. So we get this:
Facial hair -- Sounis objects, and the rest is history -- we get our current cover!
And here are the other cover ideas.
Look! Hands holding a peashooter! And look how cleverly Vince Natale made them two left hands, so we would not be able to guess whose they were!
Well, obviously, Sophos is trying to look pathetic to get some sympathy from Berrone. But....
Sophos as dressed by Eugenides. This is such an elegant design -- and look at that embroidery!
Eugenides is not the only one who dreams of Eddis!
And now the last concept drawing...
Apricots! A cover in code! Too bad that it would have reminded everybody of Twilight.... (I guess...)
That's it for the art work. A thousand thanks to Vince Natale for sending me all these, and I hope you enjoy them!
Happy New Year, everyone, and all the best for 2011 -- I've got to run.
<3~D.
no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:00 pm (UTC)I'll come back and make coherent observations later.
no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:18 pm (UTC)The Sophos-dressed-by-Gen piece looks epic. 8D
no subject
Date: 1/8/11 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:21 pm (UTC)A note about the covers, has anyone noticed how on the back jacket of the hardbacks there is a lovely gold border, and the upper border wraps around to be on the spine too, but the lower border stops on the back before getting to the spine? Maybe I'm crazy but it always bothers me a little that they aren't the same.
no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:51 pm (UTC)BUT SERIOUSLY, OMG, SO COOL.
that first picture of the boy on a horse looks like little!Gen.
also MAN I wish Rosie were here to see all these. ROSIE I AM THINKING OF YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.
eek these are awesome. THANK YOU MR. NATALE, AND DEIRDREJ FOR TALKING TO HIM.
no subject
Date: 2/27/12 03:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 1/8/11 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 09:32 pm (UTC)Maybe we should have all a sounis vote on an "alternate" book cover! All these are great!!!
SQUEEEE !!!
Can't wait to see the rest (espeically for KoA)
no subject
Date: 1/8/11 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 10:40 pm (UTC)Seriously, I'm super excited to see these, but through some twist of fate, you are about the third person on my friends list today to have a cut backfire. I wouldn't ask otherwise!
no subject
Date: 1/8/11 11:20 pm (UTC)I think I almost like the charcoal sketches better than the coloured versions --they're just so beautiful. Wow!
no subject
Date: 1/10/11 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/8/11 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/9/11 12:41 am (UTC)Thank you for sharing this with us.
And does that mean the ring was added especially to go with the artwork? Interesting! That was such a clever bit in the book since Sophos was too disfigured to be recognized. I wonder how she had the story before.
Yes! We were amazed!
Date: 1/9/11 02:14 am (UTC)Anyway, yes, the publisher requested that the ring be added to the artwork and the novel.
no subject
Date: 1/9/11 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/9/11 01:31 am (UTC)THANK YOU DEIRDREJ YOU ARE AS WELL! I never would have thought to just up and write to an artist. And then to just have him send you the artwork! I mean, what??!!?? That is great! Sounis rocks, and so does Greenwillow and so does Vince Natale. So say I. And I'm sure everyone will sleep better now knowing I think so. :P
ANYWAY YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
no subject
Date: 1/9/11 01:40 am (UTC)I LOVE the Sophos-dressed-by-Eugenides cover, haha. That would have been impressive to see fully rendered.
Fixed it! & thanks, everyone
I was worried that nobody was seeing the first sketch because of the cut having messed up -- hopefully everything is working correctly now, and the entry isn't so long, and you can see everything again :-)
Yes, Vince Natale is BEYOND awesome, and I'm hoping that we will be able to talk to him soon. And I LOVE Sophos in the fancy embroidered panels -- (well, I love Sophos anyway).
Have to run again -- goodnight! But I'll be back as soon as I can.
Oh! and -- apropos of nothing, the boy who plays Eustace in the new Narnia movie was perfect, and a great actor. What do you think -- could he do Sophos, or are his features too unusual?
Re: Fixed it! & thanks, everyone
Date: 1/9/11 03:45 am (UTC)I need to echo everyone else: THANK YOU!!!!!! THESE ARE MADE OF AWESOME AND SO ARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Fixed it! & thanks, everyone
From:Re: Fixed it! & thanks, everyone
From:Re: Fixed it! & thanks, everyone
From:Re: Fixed it! & thanks, everyone
From:no subject
Date: 1/9/11 02:53 am (UTC)I think this is finally tangible proof of Gen's fabulous fashion sense.
no subject
Date: 1/9/11 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/9/11 03:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 1/9/11 03:18 am (UTC)Did you happen to ask him about purchasing prints? I exchanged a few emails with him a couple years back and he said he was organizing print sales but I don't think anything came of it. Have you any updated news regarding this? I would love to buy the covers in prints!
no subject
Date: 1/10/11 03:06 am (UTC)