Hey, Little Shoppers (yup, I'm branding that lol)!

Before I start, I would just like to say: Please don't get your hopes up.

I am still on hiatus concerning any additional creative works (e.g. story updates, graphics requests, etc.)

Also, I'm writing this feature through my phone - because I can't trust myself with a laptop - and had my CS5 Portable and other files sealed on another hard drive that is currently being guarded by my cousin.

Yeah, I know, it sounds extreme - but I have to take this precaution. 

I need to focus, and it doesn't help that I'm easily bored with what I'm working on which would motivate me to pursue more interesting outlets. (*cough* ADHD stuff *cough*) 

In fact, by the time I'll be finished writing this, I would probably pass out and wake up to yet another day of work. Oh, the joy! 

But, enough about my aggravation.

May I present to you my latest project!

Side-note: Stick around a bit longer, because I'll be including another tip! (Or two! Or three! Yeah, I'm just gonna stop counting from there lol)

*Warning: it may contain some light spoilers for the story! lol*

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|| FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW ||

About the Book:

The life of River Tanners was not perfect. But he made it work. He was salvaging the crumbling remains of his parents' forsaken marriage. He fought his persistent demons. But he was blindsided by his sister when she takes off, running headfirst into a world that's ready to eat her whole. And so River's life grinds to a halt while he scrambles to find his sister. 

After a traumatic skiing accident, Akita Bay is starting to lose her grip on reality. She is not the only one to do so, and Akita soon learns that her best friend has lost the fight with her own terrors. She's reeling from her world, once again, being turned upside down. Never wanting to relive the incident, she turns to distractions, and she gets a big one. And that distraction was the anomaly named River Tanners. 

If you're a romantic who just loves New York (like me); a witty ensemble of characters;  a great balance of wit, humor and melancholy, and; is a stickler when it comes to grammar (seriously, I couldn't spot any error, and I loved every moment of complete zero distractions), then you need to check this book out! 

One of the reasons why I loved this book so much is because it has a bisexual heroine. Now, I might be ignorant of all the books circulating in Wattpad, but I don't see this type of representation floating in my radar. And, just by knowing that this exists, I felt exalted and represented (despite still being half in the closet). So, thank you to this author!

*Enticed? Simply go to theforeverlost's account and click "Footsteps in the Snow" from her Stories.*

Duration: 2 - 2 1/2 hours (divided between 2 days)

Software: Photoshop CS5 Portable
Sources: Pexel, Unsplash, Dafont, 1001Fonts, Google Images

Tagline: A story of love, loss and new beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own the original images used in these designs.

{ GRAPHIC TYPE: COVER }

**The image has been watermarked to prevent anyone, aside from the author and designer, from using the image without permission.**

¤  AUTHOR'S FEEDBACK ¤

"I LOVE IT!! The whole thing is so beautiful, and I love how you incorporated "a story of love, loss, and new beginnings" And the thing with the boots, AGH THE BEAUTY. You are AMAZING and thank you so much!" - theforeverlost

¤ WHERE TO BEGIN ¤

I've read theforeverlost's story before, and I'm not afraid to say I loved it.  I loved it so much, that the first time I saw the cover then, I was already visualizing what I would do if I were to design it.

Needless to say, wish granted!

The author specified that she wanted something simple/minimalist with no cursive fonts, but trusts me on what I think is best.

I know I've mentioned White Backgrounds before in my earlier chapters, so I won't expound on that.  My mind automatically projects the said white background. But, there was still one question: "Why was the title 'Footsteps in the Snow'?" 

For some, it might be a piece of cake to assume why. But, that's where a designer starts their work on.

Tip #1: Always ask your client for any specific details.  The designer and the client might've different perceptions with the title, so it's better to clear the issue beforehand.

I messaged the author as soon as I had the time for a break in my work, and she explained the reason why.

TBH, it was beautiful. However, to honor our client-designer confidentiality, I won't divulge most of it. (If you really wanna know, just read the book ;))

Anyways, so I got the gist of it. And, by translating it on how I understood it, I came up with this concept.

"People leave imprints of themselves in our lives, memories that mark their existence into our lives. They guide us throughout our journey into finding that essence of life.We leave tracks and footsteps throughout our lives, hoping it would lead someone out there to us." (If you ever quote this, make sure to credit me).

Note how I underlined some words because they will be important for my design.

Tip #2: Create a Moodboard. 

Anybody else guilty on stocking up photos, only to never use them? I am lol!

I  honestly lost count after 50 photos for this project alone!

I weeded a lot of photos until I was satisfied with these:

*BTW, I upgraded my watermark design. What do you think? *

Three photos, and yet they made a whole lot of difference.

¤ ROLLING MY SLEEVES ¤

For this design, I kept it simple and direct where Akita and River's paths are crossed.The footprints in the snow are almost indistinguishable.

 Of course, to give some pop and dimension to mostly white composition, I made sure to incorporate blues and oranges (more on blues since the image portrays snow).

There are two versions:

No.1 portrays a realistic star image, while No.2 portrays a semi-realistic vector star image. Of course, the final decision rests on the client.

Tip #3: When offering  design pitches to your client, limit it to 3. Make sure that those 3 designs are your best ones, and -  in no way - tacky. This is to make sure that if your client has bad taste ( I'm not throwing any shade, just pointing out a fact), then the project still looks good and your reputation as a designer is kept intact.

In this case, I'm just lucky my client has great taste!

For the fonts, I kept them simple and cursive-free as the author indicated. However, I added some shine and dimension so they wouldn't get lost.

Also, observe how you can take something so simple and generic like a "Baskerville Old Face" font, and make it interesting and different. 

This is where you, as a designer, show your creativity and innovation.

Tip #4: Go the extra- mile! Just because you've been hired to only make the cover, doesn't mean you should limit the work to there. 

Covers are important because they set the whole mood for the story before the reader can open the book. Not only that, but they set the style for the entirety of the graphics.

In respect and consideration for any succeeding designer that the author might hire for banners and other graphics, I included PNG files for the story's title and the author's name in my submission so that there is still a consistency of style.

By seeing the overall composition, I aim to have your reader feel all sorts of warmth, nostalgia, modern whimsy, and hope. 

I want them to feel the promise of a good read, because it is a good read.

That's it for tonight. It's currently 1:17 AM, PhST on my end. 

Thanks for viewing.

Good night and Sweet Dreams!

❤❤❤❤

Lei

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Copyright © 2020 by Lei André

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