The fifth season of Inside Illustration is now available! The theme for the multi-platform season for AOI Members is book cover illustration for publishing.
Inside Illustration Publishing season illustration by Joshua DreweWe’re all drawn to an attractive book cover, and Season 5 is on Illustration for Publishing, focusing on creating imagery for book covers for adult fiction and non-fiction and packed with essential information from experienced art directors and illustrators – check out some of the content below.
This Inside Illustration season includes a Podcast with top guests, a four part Creative Course on book covers for members, an in-depth Article, interview, a Folio of members’ work, and a comprehensive How To get into Illustration for Publishing: Book Covers resource for those interested in exploring this season’s theme.
The Podcast:
In this episode we’re discussing all aspects of book covers with award winning illustrator and freelance designer Micaela Alcaino and Creative Director at Headline publishing, Patrick Insole.
Our guests discuss the pleasures of cover illustration, working with illustrators, the design of covers and considering the typography, the importance of research for illustrators, tailoring your folio for cover commissions and creating cover samples, publishing contracts, differences between the UK and US markets and more.
Our host is Rachel Emily Taylor, artist, writer and BA Course Leader at Camberwell College of Art
Left: Covers illustrated and designed by Micaela Alcaino
The Article:
Publishing art directors are on the front line of ensuring the books they design are eye catching and the right fit for readers across a range of publishing genres.
In Depicting the Story writer Alix-Rose Cowie talks to experienced cover designers Ellie Game at HarperCollins, Peter Adlington at Faber and Neil Lang at Pan Macmillan about how they work with illustrators, the brief and time scales, and that there are lots of stakeholders in a cover, “It can be tricky to please everyone!”
Left: Under the Hornbeams, illustration by Liam Cobb. Designed by Peter Adlington
The Creative Practice Course:
AOI members have the exclusive opportunity to explore a range of illustration for adult book covers by taking part in our Creative Practice Course, with illustrator Dave Bain and guest illustrators and an experienced art director:
Explore non-fiction with Jennifer N R Smith who has just been shortlisted for the 2024 V&A Illustration awards, in the Adult non-fiction category, commissioning insights from Ellie Game and creating book covers with Lucy Davey and Zoë van Dijk.
Left: Covers by Zoë van Dijk
The ‘How To’:
Interested in creating work and being commissioned in the book cover area?
Help yourself get more commissions in a range of genres in fiction and non-fiction with How To get into lllustration for Publishing: Book Covers
This downloadable publication (exclusive for AOI members) by designer Holly Macdonald covers all you need to know, from what is best to include in your folio, different areas of book publishing, clients, briefs and lots more.
With insightful quotes from art directors, Caroline Young at Headline Publishing Group and Ellie Game at HarperFiction & Non-fiction, plus illustrator James Weston Lewis who has created many book covers for a range of publishing houses.
Left: How To cover. Godkiller cover Art Direction by Holly Macdonald HarperCollins. Illustration by Tom Roberts
Members have access to all these and more at Inside Illustration! Explore it all now.