alfreda89: 3 foot concrete Medieval style gargoyle with author's hand resting on its head. (Feels like Autumn; USA color (WA))
I discovered the Earthsea trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin with Pauline Ellison's stunning Bantam paperback overs. I remember thinking of the covers like wrapping paper--a beautiful introduction to the books, but with little connection to the actual stories. Only the image of the dragon wrapped around the towers carried through from the cover art.

But I picked up the books and bought them. That is the first requirement of cover art. Get the book in the reader's hand. I would love to see covers similarly lush, but with the true flora, fauna, and people of the Archipelagos across the artwork.

Over at Amazing Stories Magazine at Asni's Art Blog, the cover art from the introduction of the books through the 1970s is discussed. Hard to find the people of the Archipelagos in these covers, except for the first one. Have things improved since then? We'll check back in two weeks for part two, the 1980-2014 covers.

Here's a recent cover. It would be in this post except a half-dozen attempts and Live Journal still won't let me post it.

Here's Part Two.
alfreda89: 3 foot concrete Medieval style gargoyle with author's hand resting on its head. (Mascot)
Gentle Readers,

I need some input from horsy people.  What I need is someone to look at a very nice drawing of a unicorn/horse, and help me explain to the talented artist what is needed to clearly delineate whether this is a three month old colt or a full grown unicorn.  I've already explained that the colt would be as tall as the character (to its ears) and the adult would make the 5'9" character come up to the animal's shoulder.  (Unicorns are big suckers in my world, especially the males.)  Also, the colt would have a horn perhaps 6-9" long.  The adult would have a horn 2.5-3 feet long.

I can explain in one line what I think the problem is for me, but would like a second opinion/confirmation of this,  I pinged two horsy authors, but they are apparently very busy and haven't gotten back to me.  Does anyone else have a moment to look at a mockup?  (Insert of three month old Lipp included to help create explanation.)

Trying to keep my cover artist moving along...

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