This one has a blue banner and the 'e' is not covered.
Then the same banner with the 'e' covered.
I am not at all sure about this shade of blue. No. Not sure.
And I have to work with the edge of that door. It needs to look like a door. Maybe I can add a dark strip down the side.
This one has a more active woman. I like the concept, but the picture of her takes more space, it being active and all.
In the first case, I've moved the lettering on top of her.
This might work with more powerful lettering, but seems illegible as is.
Here, I keep the picture, but make the name smaller so it all fits.
I do not know what to do with the right side of the picture.
The whole photoshop thingum is kinda beyond my grasp. Obviously more tinkering is required if I want to do this.
Somehow I think the concept of wedge-shaped upper line is cooler than the execution.
Hi Joanna,
ReplyDeleteI love all the different choices, but I am rather fond of the blue and glad you are leaning in that direction. I also like the action po, but (and it might be just me) I somehow think her hand looks too large in the swept back position...
The color in those is very nice, but I have to think the very top one - with your name completely shown - is simple, elegant and my favorite so far.
Many thanks for letting us all feel a part!
Hi Jo,
ReplyDeleteNot to be a Debbie Downer, but the 'action' woman looks freakishly thin to me, and her hand is disproportionate to her arm - it just looks off.
The first banner is my favorite - your name is clearly visible, I like the blue stripe on top, I like the picture of the woman, and for what it's worth, I can tell it's a door .
If you're not keeping the stripe of color at the top, the thicker top line looks good. Not a fan of the wedge line.
Hope this helps!
Hi Romantic Scientist --
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem with photoshopping stuff. Or GIMPing it, in my case. You get these weird inhuman effects.
I wonder if there's some way to make it all work.
I, too, find the first one simple and classic. Different blue is needed.
And maybe it's a little . . . dull.
"Oh, heck," says I.
Hi Anon --
ReplyDeleteI am so delighted with everybody's comments.
I think I have to line everything up and see what has 'impact' and 'warmth' and go from there.
I wonder if you aren't overthinking it just a bit? Yes, people will see the banner as they land on your page, but will they study and obsess over it? Don't get me wrong - I know you want something that looks good and captures the right 'feel' for you, but perhaps a bit of time and distance would help you decide?
ReplyDeleteHi Romantic Scientist --
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. Obsessing R Us.
You should see me dithering over commas.
*g*
I should hear from the web designer sometime in the next couple days. We'll see where she goes with this.
FWIW, I like the first one best, but of the figures, like the one moving.
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to make that figure small enough to use it while having the essential thing, your name, in the clear?
Or maybe, to move your name over to the left just a bit? The "e" is crowding the door and looks very slightly unbalanced.
I like the first two/darker shades of blue, and like the way the blue of the line across matches the blue of the gown. The lighter blue is, to my eye, too baby blue.
I can tell it's a door. The hand with the knife does look a tad large, like it was photoshopped in from someone else.
A smaller figure works, but you might be able to see her face if the figure were smaller. Not seeing it gives a certain sense of mystery. On the other hand, the women on your other covers (what a lovely thing to be able to say!) have their faces turned and are partially cut off, so adding part of a face would be cover consistency. For whatever that's worth.
I like seeing all blue on the right. I think you can convey movement on the part of the figure by the lines of the gown.
Not wild about the wedge/dagger across the top, although it does add a sense of movement to the piece.
Only my comments, for whatever they're worth. Can't wait to hold it in my hands. Now, off to work!
I think Romantic Scientist has an excellent point about over-thinking. I like the action figure, but I am bothered by having her hold onto the door and then having the lines of the banner continue behind her. It leaves the door just hanging there, as it were. To go back to what Romantic Scientist said, though, I would *never* notice such a detail if I were visiting a writer's website.
ReplyDeleteok, my two cents:
ReplyDeleteI understand the idea of the door opening to show your name, but I don't think it is working. If you are wedded to that concept (& it is a good one) you could use a moving gif to reveal your name. But, please, only have it open once (or have it move every 5 minutes?)
The other way to have it work is to show the top or bottom of a door & have perspective show that the door is opening. With the partial graphic, it isn't obvious that it is an open door to another "area".
I do prefer graphics from your covers to generic graphics that show up on multiple websites.
I'd comment further, but I've got to get going for the day.... (darnit)
I think the first example looks best, but I would substitute the light blue dress.
ReplyDeleteThe last four examples cut off too much of the door and as others have said, the arms are too thin. I'm not too crazy about the wedge line either. I prefer the black line with a stripe that matches whatever dress color you choose.
Hah! Came back to see your ongoing travails. I agree the action woman looks funky. I like the first one for the image. However, I do like the no-blue-line text treatment of the third. Can you just remove the blue line from the first? I might like that. Oh, graphics. So easy to fixate. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteNo wedge line. Good.
ReplyDeleteBlue dress. I'll look at some shade of blue. I should be able to come up with something intriguing.
But the red is more startling. Maybe I want startling?
Let me see also if I can do the action woman but not have her hand look funky. There should be a way.
(jo girds her loins and heads back into the mysteries of GIMP)
The red dress aka pinkish works better than the others, IMHO. Smiling.
ReplyDelete