The way it’s really out of proportion (in the wrong aspect ratio, in the lousybookcovers language). The way the hair blends with the black background sems like the back of the head (and neck) simply do not exist. The wavy eybrow. The way the eye is a bit rotated clockwise (in relation to the position it should be). The way the fill of the mouth partially overlays the stroke around it. The way the shape of the mouth itself is wrong (really, it barely looks like a mouth)…
You know, the way it simply does not look like an actual face at all.
And the tears dropping. Oh my god the tears. If you can’t see what’s wrong with the tears, it’s a wonder you actually find any other cover here lousy.
Seriously, the only way one could NOT see what’s wrong with this cover is by being blind.
I can see how someone could make the case for the face, tears, etc. just being stylized; I agree that it’s not a terrible cover, but then, I’m not a professional designer, and opinions differ.
I literally looked at that and wondered what was melting!!!
For some reason this one doesn’t bother me so much, but it does remind me a lot of the cover of Persepolis.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0b/Persepolis_film.jpg/215px-Persepolis_film.jpg
Every once in a while you post a cover I really like a lot. This was one of them.
It’s all good, except for that face.
It’s one thing to grouse about the art…but another to actually explain what’s wrong with it.
Let me see…
The way it’s really out of proportion (in the wrong aspect ratio, in the lousybookcovers language). The way the hair blends with the black background sems like the back of the head (and neck) simply do not exist. The wavy eybrow. The way the eye is a bit rotated clockwise (in relation to the position it should be). The way the fill of the mouth partially overlays the stroke around it. The way the shape of the mouth itself is wrong (really, it barely looks like a mouth)…
You know, the way it simply does not look like an actual face at all.
And the tears dropping. Oh my god the tears. If you can’t see what’s wrong with the tears, it’s a wonder you actually find any other cover here lousy.
Seriously, the only way one could NOT see what’s wrong with this cover is by being blind.
I can see how someone could make the case for the face, tears, etc. just being stylized; I agree that it’s not a terrible cover, but then, I’m not a professional designer, and opinions differ.
Seven Sapiens, You. Should be a cosmetic
surgeon. With your powers of observation
you would make a mint!
Interesting to see a Jane Yolen book here. She’s quiet the prominent, traditionally published author.
I know. When established authors use a third party to put their backlist up as ebooks, it can be something of a crapshoot.
That planet? looks more like a giant Jawbreaker.
Maybe the girl’s crying because she bit her
tooth on it.