Silhouettes! And a giant cat! Do the ravens guard the cat too? Or the cat gets to eat the ravens? I’m so intrigued, I need to buy this book and find out.
And the author’s name is CRaven! Lions and spiders and lizards, oh my!
Waffles
9 years ago
Poor abused Silhouettes… They get so much flack that they don’t really deserve, just like pencil crayons, wax crayons, and felt markers.
If you don’t know how to use your medium, whatever it is, it is going to look like a joke. Crayons can be beautiful, pencil crayons can make you shocked at their shine, and silhouettes can be wonderful in mediums that do not involve realistic photographs (unless used as a creepy shadow cast on a wall)!!!
Look at this cover, it is the middle of the day. The cave has ample lighting so there is no reason for these figures to be in silhouette. Their backs should be darker certainly, but they should not be in silhouette! They should be casting shadows on the ground, and visible, and not like this!
Even if it was night, and they were standing in front of a bonfire, you cannot just use a silhouette! They would still have some light on them, you would see some detail, even just a hint.
That is the problem though. The designer didn’t know any of that. They are not an artist. That is why they used silhouettes, because they cannot draw. It was their ‘clever’ idea to get around the fact that they cannot draw. “No one will ever notice” they said to themselves.
That is why the poor silhouette is downtrodden. Abuse by people that have no idea what a silhouette is used for. Hint: It isn’t this.
So please don’t hate on silhouettes themselves Nathan and everyone else, it is not their fault. Hate on the people that use them poorly, like the person that used the Shitlhouettes seen here.
You just stated the problem with ALL the cover on this site, not just the shitlhouetted ones. The designer is not an artist. Actually in most cases the designer is not a designer.
I kinda like the right silhouette. It’s next to the wall so it just might look like it’s in the shadows, and the silhouette itself is elegant. But the one with the Kim Kardashian’s butt and a pogo stick is just ridiculous, and the lion is laughable.
It wasn’t so bad at the top, but as I scrolled the rest of it into view, oh boy.
It looks like the three silhouettes have Pogo Sticks. The cat is on his, the woman on the left is just getting on, and the person on the right is holding theirs by both ends. Can’t be a sword, unless they are trying to cut their fingers off.
Solid raven as a logo background for the title I can buy. I think the cover would be better without the three silhouettes pasted on the ground.
This cover reminds me of a couple of 1950s monster B movies where the producers ran out of money before the monsters were optically printed over the black traveling mattes left in the live action scenes. Attacking black silhouettes were just not convincing (“Teenagers from Outer Space” and “The Black Scorpion”). Neither is this cover.
No, no, noooo… I have that exact name for a city in my story, and I don’t want to be associated with the above book, even if the chances are really, really slim.
Funny thing is, the other day I’ve discovered that I was using Ravenfort at some places (yeah, it’s just like me to forget the proper freaking name of my own freaking imaginary city) and for a while couldn’t decide which I should go with. In the end, I chose Ravensguard. Two days later, this shows up. The universe might be telling me I’ve made the wrong choice. Thank you, universe.
I took that forgetting to a whole new level. My characters simply cannot remember the name to the city because it is a complicated fantasy name that is impossible to pronounce. I don’t even know the name. LoL
Silhouettes aren’t inherently bad. I’ve seen at least one decent read with silhouettes on the cover. Of course, the author pretty obviously just bought a stock image for her cover and slapped a title on it, but for what it was (a YA romance novel), it worked just fine.
Tuula
9 years ago
Now the only question left is: Scaramouch, will you do the fandango?
L-Plate Pen
9 years ago
I wanna cat that can levitate on its tail!
…Although I think someone should inform the shadow-lady on the left that she’s got something stuck through her foot. That’s gotta hurt…
Silhouettes! And a giant cat! Do the ravens guard the cat too? Or the cat gets to eat the ravens? I’m so intrigued, I need to buy this book and find out.
And the author’s name is CRaven! Lions and spiders and lizards, oh my!
Poor abused Silhouettes… They get so much flack that they don’t really deserve, just like pencil crayons, wax crayons, and felt markers.
If you don’t know how to use your medium, whatever it is, it is going to look like a joke. Crayons can be beautiful, pencil crayons can make you shocked at their shine, and silhouettes can be wonderful in mediums that do not involve realistic photographs (unless used as a creepy shadow cast on a wall)!!!
Look at this cover, it is the middle of the day. The cave has ample lighting so there is no reason for these figures to be in silhouette. Their backs should be darker certainly, but they should not be in silhouette! They should be casting shadows on the ground, and visible, and not like this!
Even if it was night, and they were standing in front of a bonfire, you cannot just use a silhouette! They would still have some light on them, you would see some detail, even just a hint.
That is the problem though. The designer didn’t know any of that. They are not an artist. That is why they used silhouettes, because they cannot draw. It was their ‘clever’ idea to get around the fact that they cannot draw. “No one will ever notice” they said to themselves.
That is why the poor silhouette is downtrodden. Abuse by people that have no idea what a silhouette is used for. Hint: It isn’t this.
So please don’t hate on silhouettes themselves Nathan and everyone else, it is not their fault. Hate on the people that use them poorly, like the person that used the Shitlhouettes seen here.
Thank you for your time!
Side note: Pitching Shitlhouettes for the tag name.
You just stated the problem with ALL the cover on this site, not just the shitlhouetted ones. The designer is not an artist. Actually in most cases the designer is not a designer.
I kinda like the right silhouette. It’s next to the wall so it just might look like it’s in the shadows, and the silhouette itself is elegant. But the one with the Kim Kardashian’s butt and a pogo stick is just ridiculous, and the lion is laughable.
Oh right. I keep forgetting they all suck!
It wasn’t so bad at the top, but as I scrolled the rest of it into view, oh boy.
It looks like the three silhouettes have Pogo Sticks. The cat is on his, the woman on the left is just getting on, and the person on the right is holding theirs by both ends. Can’t be a sword, unless they are trying to cut their fingers off.
Pogo Cat needs a hovering Bowler hat (a la Magritte).
I couldn’t control myself.
http://i.imgur.com/K1F0xaE.jpg
Don’t ever stop.
Beautiful! The ominous giant potato in the distance really pulls it together!
killing it!
“In a world where human-mouse hybrids rule the earth, one potato will rise…”
Thanks! I’m still blushing.
Solid raven as a logo background for the title I can buy. I think the cover would be better without the three silhouettes pasted on the ground.
This cover reminds me of a couple of 1950s monster B movies where the producers ran out of money before the monsters were optically printed over the black traveling mattes left in the live action scenes. Attacking black silhouettes were just not convincing (“Teenagers from Outer Space” and “The Black Scorpion”). Neither is this cover.
I love the cat with the magic supporting tail.
That’s a lion O__O
I thought it was a lamp.
guys… it’s Ravens Guard. Clearly, they’ve killed that cat and impaled its body on a pike as a warning to other cats regarding their guarding.
Inspired by a dentist’s nightmare.
The title sounds like it should be one word.
“Welcome to the city of Ravensguard!”
No, no, noooo… I have that exact name for a city in my story, and I don’t want to be associated with the above book, even if the chances are really, really slim.
Uh oh. Time to move to Ravensdefend.
Funny thing is, the other day I’ve discovered that I was using Ravenfort at some places (yeah, it’s just like me to forget the proper freaking name of my own freaking imaginary city) and for a while couldn’t decide which I should go with. In the end, I chose Ravensguard. Two days later, this shows up. The universe might be telling me I’ve made the wrong choice. Thank you, universe.
Catie: I like Ravensguard. Don’t change it. (Although, for some reason, it’s evoking GOT for me.)
Yeah, I like it too. Better GOT than the mess above :).
I took that forgetting to a whole new level. My characters simply cannot remember the name to the city because it is a complicated fantasy name that is impossible to pronounce. I don’t even know the name. LoL
Starts with a C though…
Hahaha 😀 At least you do it deliberately. I’m an actual, real life scatterbrain.
Oops, sorry 🙂 It’s a cool name nonetheless.
Ah, don’t worry. I’m just gonna stick a few shitlhouettes on my cover to fit in with the cool kids.
Including what appears to be a random cat silhouette.
Oh, I’m gonna go all the way and add not just the lion, but a tiger and a bear. Oh my! And maybe a potato. Cause that potato looks awesome.
Potato? I thought that was the Black Fortress floating mountain from Krull. (following the link at red’s comment). Oh, it is a potato.
Now I’m tempted to write a story about an evil potato that’s treating to take over the world. And turn everyone into mashed potatoes.
Add my vote for a Silhouette tag!
Me too! They’re so abused that I don’t believe that I’ll ever buy a book with them on the cover.
You mean shitlhouette 😉
Oh no! But my book… 😀
I tried so hard to make it not look like shitlhouettes!
Silhouettes aren’t inherently bad. I’ve seen at least one decent read with silhouettes on the cover. Of course, the author pretty obviously just bought a stock image for her cover and slapped a title on it, but for what it was (a YA romance novel), it worked just fine.
Now the only question left is: Scaramouch, will you do the fandango?
I wanna cat that can levitate on its tail!
…Although I think someone should inform the shadow-lady on the left that she’s got something stuck through her foot. That’s gotta hurt…