![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Unburned-Island-by2BAuden2BJohnson.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=393%2C640&ssl=1)
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Red-magical-circle-1080.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&w=1170&ssl=1)
I figured I could use the image on its own but zoom in on a certain part.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Screaming-Towns-wip-red-background.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=394%2C640&ssl=1)
Not bad but it doesn’t really match book 2. It needs something more.I also found this image on Shutterstock.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/stock-photo-d-illustration-of-landscape.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=606%2C640&ssl=1)
But, it’s blue. Too much like Book 1. If Book 2 is the same color as Book 1, then Book 3 and all the other books would need to be blue. I tried to blend the above image with the red one.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Screaming-Towns-wip-blended.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=393%2C640&ssl=1)
It didn’t work out. I couldn’t figure out how to blend them without it looking terrible, I was stuck. Then, I remembered I used this image for book 1.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bw-animal-with-burning-eyes-in-dark-mystic-forest-at-night-1080.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=640%2C426&ssl=1)
Maybe I could use a similar image for all the books in the series and just zoom in on different parts. Shutterstock has another throne image that I already owned.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bw-dark-forest-with-thorny-trees-and-eyes-at-night.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=640%2C425&ssl=1)
So, I zoomed in and played around with the placement until I found a part I liked.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Screaming-Towns-wip-black-and-white.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=393%2C640&ssl=1)
Okay, we’re getting somewhere. Now, time to work on the type. I already had a lot of fonts installed on my computer but none of them were working out.”Screaming” was a bit too long of a word to property fit on the cover. I switched the titled to The Wailing Town and started searching for fonts on 1001 Fonts. I love this site for some nice free royalty-free decorative fonts. Found a couple I liked:
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Wailing-Town-Font-Options.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=640%2C342&ssl=1)
I’m leaning towards the last 2.Now, let revisit that red image.
I worked with it a bit more. And, here’s where I am right now.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Wailing-Town.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=394%2C640&ssl=1)
I’m still playing with the font but I don’t think I’ll be changing it much unless my publisher says something.Just for fun, I found this on Shutterstock.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/shutterstock_407677912-horror-legs-font.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=236%2C400&ssl=1)
I added the font to the cover.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Screaming-Towns-second-font.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=394%2C640&ssl=1)
Here’s another version with the red more pronounced.
![](https://egs3h68r5ni.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Screaming-Towns-redder.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=393%2C640&ssl=1)
One thought on “Behind the Design: Dark Fantasy Book Cover Art”
Very creative!
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