Opinions on adventure front cover layout...

[mearrin69]

Hi all,
Hoping to get an opinion on this basic layout. The harbor scene artwork is temporary (waiting for my freelancer to come through for me) so leave that out of your thinking if you can. What about the rest? Too dark? Too grungy? Wrong font? How can I improve it? Thanks in advance!
M

[tilt]

I like it
I have only two comments - the first is about your logo, so feel free to ignore it ... I'd move the letters out of the tree, it would look more calm that way and the text would be easier to read. I guess its in the tree to "connect" the two, but the connection is already established by standing under the tree ... just my 2 cents
The warrior should be grounded - ie his feets should have a shadow under them.
Other than that - perfect - I like the fonts

[mearrin69]

Yep, the logo's sort of fixed in place. If I redesigned it I'd probably do something different altogether. The shadow thing, however, I can do. Thanks!
M

[tilt]

a little anecdote... many years ago Colgate in Denmark decided (or probably main office) that the logo should match the international logo ... it took them 10 years to change the logo, with minor changes so people wouldn't notice much

[mearrin69]

Consumer products companies are clever like that. I don't have so much tied up in the logo (its alter-ego is associated with our market research business (link)) but I paid a guy a lot of money to design the original way back when and I'm holding on to the notion that he knew what he was doing. Maybe I will play around with it though and see what happens. I've got the original AI files around here somewhere (which is how I made the Acacia Games version). BTW, I really appreciate all of your feedback lately (across my *many* recent threads!)
M

[Ghostman]

The main title text should stand out a bit more. I'd also question the decision to replicate it with a different font below the cover picture; having the title appear twice on the product cover seems very redundant.

[tilt]

Consumer products companies are clever like that. I don't have so much tied up in the logo (its alter-ego is associated with our market research business (link)) but I paid a guy a lot of money to design the original way back when and I'm holding on to the notion that he knew what he was doing. Maybe I will play around with it though and see what happens. I've got the original AI files around here somewhere (which is how I made the Acacia Games version). BTW, I really appreciate all of your feedback lately (across my *many* recent threads!)
M

I like the original logo, although I wouldn't have made the text cross the tree there either (made my fair share of logos also ) but that is always a matter of opinion and personal style - and I would say that the only correct solution is the one that makes the customer happy (without compromising once artistic values to much *lol*).
I'm glad to comment, and gladder thats its appreciated

and I agree with Ghostman - no need for the title two times on the cover ... and it looks like I didn't actually read the text or I should have caught that

[Marken4]

I think it's a bit to much .. sorry. No place where I can rest my eyes, other than that the fonts and colours looks all right.

[Steel General]

Just as an idea, maybe make the entire cover the jade of the current title and make the title (and other text) look as though it was 'chiseled/carved from the jade. *shrugs*

[mearrin69]

@Ghostman: Heh. I question it myself and, now, am not sure why I did it. I did this referencing an earlier comp I put together...and I'm not sure why I did it there either. I remember looking at several covers from other publishers so I must have seen it somewhere and thought it made sense to me at the time. Now it doesn't really so I'll try it without.
@Marken4: That's okay...I asked for feedback. Can you give me any specifics? I think I agree with you; it doesn't really flow somehow but I don't know where the problem resides.
@SG: That's a good idea and it was my original concept but I wasn't really able to execute a "sheet" of jade so I went with the metallic thing I have now. I couldn't even find a reference pic showing what jade looks like in a large flat surface. Another issue is making the text stand out if the materials are the same...but maybe that can be accomplished by making the background dark and the text lighter. I'll give it another go.

I wonder if my stand-in "art" (which is a scribbling by me in lieu of an actual cover painting) isn't detracting from the thing. The painting I invision is an action scene - either an allyway ambush or the adventure's grand battle at a monastery, neither of which I am capable of rendering well enough to even serve as a placeholder. Man. I hope my artist hasn't flaked on me!
M