4
Working with the feedback
After I send in the sketches, my editor points out that we won’t have enough space for the many blocks of text
required on the cover. Didn’t I tell you? If I’d asked that beforehand, I would have worked the composition in a different
way. Now that I know exactly what space is available, I can do a couple of sketches that would fit much better.3
Polishing your doodles
I choose two or three doodles, those I consider the best, and scan them. Then I create a file in Photoshop the size
of the published art and start cleaning and painting the sketches. This is the most important part of a cover, I’d say. It’s
like the foundation of a house: if it doesn’t work, everything falls apart. Another important thing is to ask your editor
what space the title and credits on the cover will take. You’ll see in a moment why this is important!PRO SECRETS
ENHANCING THE
TEXTURE
When finishing an
illustration, I often
apply the Smart
Sharpen filter (Filter
> Sharpen > Smart
Sharpen). I set the
values according the
needs of the image.
It’s an effective way
to make the image
look more focused
and enhance the
brush strokes
and textures.SHORTCUTS
Copy all layers
Cmd+Shift+C (Mac)
Crtl+Shift+C (PC)
Make a selection, then use
this shortcut to copy all
visible layers without
having to merge
them.
Workshops