Creating the cover: Sumner's Garden
July 9, 2023
If you saw the previous post, you know the name of the current work-in-progress. Chapter 9 is in the can, so to speak, and as it looks like rain, I may get part of Chapter 10 done today. Before that happens, I thought I'd share a bit about creating the cover.
Back when I did a newsletter, I included a section called "Fun With Photoshop" where I talked about my process of making a cover . I'm sure real graphic artists will scoff at how I do it, but I've found that I need to manipulate the images several times to see if my ideas translate to the computer screen.
Finding a guy to buy is probably the most difficult part of the process. Hundreds of thousands of guys are available on the stock photo sites, and I only need ONE. I spent hours searching for the perfect Andy but he was worth it. Background images are easy because I take a lot of snapshots with my phone just for the purpose of having a file of freebies to choose from. Even with a file like that, I sometimes have to go search for open images, although it's common. I've learned that even a small corner of a photo can be cropped out and made to look like something entirely different. Once I have several images I use Photoshop to overlay them. I know that my guy will cover a good portion of the final background but I still want that background image to be finished and reflect some element important to the story.
I do apologize for feeling the need to "watermark" those photos. I didn't always do that and later discovered an image I'd created had been pirated by another author. It's easy to recognize photos you've taken with your camera in your backyard!
It's cumbersome to merge four or five photos, but the end product is worth it. Once I see the cover, I get energized to wrap up a story.
That's the plan for this afternoon. It's supposed to rain with the possibility of a thunderstorm. A rainy day is always a good day to write.
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KC Kendrickshttp://www.kckendricks.com My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links:Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
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KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, Sumner's Garden, Shine a Light, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, romance books for Kindle, book covers, writer's on writing, Photoshop, LGBTQ books
