Mixed media book cover art

Amanda Sartor illustrates for a self-published book.

This is an illustration created for a self-publishing author. When dealing with selfpublishers, it’s a good idea to find out ahead of time what service they plan to publish through. Some of these services have different requirements. You may also be acting as art director and designer, so be prepared to handle more responsibility than you might with a traditional publisher.

The topic of the book is a young adult reinterpretation of Little Red Riding Hood. The client wanted to show the main character in the woods, but was otherwise fairly open about how the image was presented. My idea was to show the character right at the moment she realises she’s being followed, and to convey some of that apprehension and foreboding. I also wanted to portray the character as more of a mystery than a victim. I did this by obscuring part of her face to make her seem less vulnerable. Eyes convey emotion, and by obscuring them the character becomes inscrutable.

Like most of my illustrations, I rely as greatly on design as on realism. I try to use as much abstraction as possible while still maintaining a sense of reality that the viewer can identify with.