james morrison book cover

WOW, way to many version to post here, but I will say it was a challenge. I will display some progress pics. These pics were my inspiration:

 

This is my final version:

 

I started with the flowers background and softened it using a overlay. Next I took the photo of James Morrison and masked out everything but his body.  I then took the background and placed it on top of the image of his body and masked out some of the image to make it appear like he was in the flowers.  Next I took another part of the flowers and and used it to create a shadow on his pants and jacket, so appear like the sun was hitting him.  For the James Morrison text, I used the larger letters for the first letters of his name, and then added a satin texture to give them a shine, with a slight stroke, and drop shadow to the pink letters. The satin effect makes it look like light hit them.  For the Spine, I took the neck of a guitar with a purple (from the flowers) overlay on it to cover the brown tone and put the name in a black bevel with a white glow.  For the back cover I added a soft purple gradient, so that on the edges, the flower background came through a little.  I masked out and rotated the guitar and added a shadow. I cut an paste a bar code from an actual book (noted below).  Then I took several pieces of his sheet music and rotated them around, and added a shadow to give them depth.  The flowers on the front of the guitar are a section from behind, copied again and brought forward.  I masked out the background and left only the flower, to sit on the guitar. 

 

I think that this book cover is effective because it shows how sensitive and soft his music is.  He does a lot of love songs, and the cover brings you to a beautiful place.  I was trying to think "would I buy this?" when I was creating it, but I would just because its james morrison.

 

References:

Guitar - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar

 

james-morrison -  http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/popcrush.com/files/2011/12/james-morrison.jpg

Pink flower - http://www.wallpaper77.com/DesktopWallpapers/1494/Pink+Flower+Climber/

you make it real sheet music - http://www.di-arezzo.co.uk/sheet+music/popular+sheet+music/sheet+music-for-voice/AMSCO01306.html

broken strings sheet music - http://www.di-arezzo.co.uk/sheet+music/popular+sheet+music/sheet+music-for-voice/HALLE01649.html

book barcode - http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&rlz=1I7ADFA_enUS473&biw=1280&bih=626&tbm=isch&tbnid=77436TXS7asBLM:&imgrefurl=http://people.dbmi.columbia.edu/~ehs7001/textbooks.html&docid=Oj2AebbsJFYp_M&imgurl=http://people.dbmi.columbia.edu/~ehs7001/images/Book%252520Cover.jpg&w=960&h=668&ei=RneYUPSRG_G60AGUrYDwDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=369&vpy=190&dur=2470&hovh=187&hovw=269&tx=182&ty=137&sig=114170218410914355891&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=204&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:147

guitar neck - http://www2.gibson.com

I chose to do my book cover on James Morrison.  James Morrison voice is unique and like no other due to a battle with whooping cough.  This has made him the passionate artist that he is today.  He is an amazing singer/song writer and sings from his sould.  Most of his music is sensual and about love.   Music teacher told him, he would never be an artist, and his struggle to become one, creates the perfect subject matter for this book.  So lets meet James Morrison, by Ashlea Garrand. Here is a start to some of my sketches.