Wednesday, April 16, 2014

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 16

Week 16 Book cover
Week 16: Book cover.

For this week's theme, "Book Cover", I finally put a design on paper that has been in my head for decades. I have tried (and also not-yet tried) to commission same from several professional artists I know. You know, "One day, when you're not too busy..." I was willing to pay $$$$ to get someone to create a cover for me, to my exacting specifications, that would be a homage to several genres - and Bob Peak's poster art for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" - and/or might have been great for a website front page, or even a "Best of..." collection of my writing over several decades. "Have Phaser, Will Travel" was the name of a regular column I wrote bimonthly for a science fiction media newsletter (1982-1992), and then the name of my first blog. This Challenge has inspired me to say, instead, in the words of the Little Red Hen, "I'll do it all by myself!" (Who knows, maybe it's an eBook cover for an actual digital collection?)

Watercolours on white acrylic gesso primed canvas sheet, with double-ended, waterproof, black Sharpie outlining, plus titles in Pages. Stars are opaque white Signo pigment ink.

Week 16 Book cover, black and white art

Exciting update:
This future cover art arrived from a Meetup and Facebook Friend whom I have never met in person. Yet. Thank you so much Benjamin Angus. I am thrilled and impressed by your talent and generosity! Now I have to compile that eBook of decades of articles and columns.

Have Phaser Will Travel cover art

1 comment:

Dags said...

Hi Ian,

You don't know me but I've certainly heard of you - all good things of course :)

I have to say this book cover looks great and maybe it should inspire you to creating the actual book.

As for myself I've compiling my fandom memoirs over the decades for fear of forgetting all those wonderful memories (some of which I know are already lost).

It's also good to see you're still running the Star Trek Meetup group. It's a shame Astrex couldn't rebuild after the demise of the Official Fan Club so at least you're keeping the social spirit of fandom alive in Sydney.

Speak soon,

Dags