Book Cover Design: Illustrate Stories with Evocative Images
A course by Owen Gent , Artist and Freelance Illustrator
Learn how to distill the words of a book into a single image using watercolors, handmade textures, and Photoshop
Book covers are the perfect bridge between our world and the one created within their pages. Artist and illustrator Owen Gent uses subtle, intimate, human imagery to create his covers using watercolors and Photoshop. He has worked with publishers including Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, and Vintage.
In this course, Owen guides you through the steps you need to create a meaningful book cover of your own using a variety of both digital and analog techniques. Delve into the world of book cover design and bring your favorite story to life through illustration.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 22 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (186)
- 4,606 students
- 18 lessons (3h 29m)
- 22 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Create your own professional book cover, combining watercolors, handmade textures, and Photoshop.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in book cover illustration or exploring an alternative approach to their existing designs.
Requirements and materials
Previous experience with Photoshop is essential.
You will need paper, brushes, and dark-tone watercolor, as well as access to a printer, scanner, a computer with Photoshop, and other materials specified by the teacher in this course.
Reviews
Owen Gent
A course by Owen Gent
Owen Gent is an artist and freelance illustrator who specializes in book cover design. Growing up in Devon meant he was inspired by nature from a young age and always dreamed of being an artist. He went on to study illustration in Falmouth in Cornwall, and there, began experimenting with telling stories through the traditional and digital painting techniques which are now an integral part of his work.
He currently creates from his studio in Bristol and has worked on everything from editorial illustration and advertising to record sleeve design and animation. During his ten-year career, he has worked with publishers including Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, and Vintage and had his work recognized at the D&AD Awards, International Illustration Awards, and Cannes Lions - International Festival of Creativity.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Creating Reference Material, Exploring Visual Ideas and Generating Roughs
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Presentation of Materials
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Choosing Your Book and Creating Simple Reference Materials
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Thumbnail Sketches and The Power of Composition
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Developing the Strongest Thumbnails into Initial Roughs I
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Developing the Strongest Thumbnails into Initial Roughs II
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Creating Full Jacket Roughs
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U3
Creating the Final Artwork
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Transferring and Drawing Out the Final Illustration
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Watercolour Painting
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Scanning Into Photoshop
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Separating the Painting into Individual Layers
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U4
Editing the Final Book Jacket
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Adding Colour Using the Selective Colour Tool
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Bringing in Found and Handmade Textures
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Finishing Touches
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Tracing the Type and Final Graphic Design Tweaks
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U5
Showing Off Your Cover in Your Portfolio
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Bringing Your Book Cover to Life with Mock-up Templates
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Sharing Your Cover Online
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FP
Final project
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Book Cover Design: Illustrate Stories with Evocative Images
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who have some experience with illustration and wish to develop skills in visual storytelling, both digitally and traditionally.
A basic familiarity with Photoshop is helpful, as the course covers essential digital techniques including layer management, texture integration, and mockup presentations.
You'll need a sketchbook, mechanical pencil, watercolor paper, flat brushes, watercolors, a Wacom or graphics tablet, a scanner, a printer, and Photoshop installed on your computer.
You’ll learn to extract narrative inspiration from literature, develop visual metaphors, create thumbnails, integrate traditional and digital techniques, and produce professional book cover illustrations ready for print or digital portfolios.
Yes, the course teaches how to combine traditional painting with digital illustration, including scanning artwork, editing in Photoshop, and integrating textures for book cover design.
The course guides you through building moodboards and Pinterest boards to collect and organize inspiration, color palettes, and reference images for effective visual storytelling.
Yes, you’ll practice analyzing books to extract key themes, jot symbolic ideas, and translate narrative elements into compelling visual cover concepts.
Adobe Photoshop
Loved this class! Owen's style is so unique and his book covers are pure art. It was great to get an insight into his process.
Excelente curso, me ayudó para crear y diseñar las portadas de mis libros, además de darme el impulso para pensar en mis proyectos editoriales a futuro. Recomendado ampliamente. El autor es genial y sus ilustraciones inspiradoras.
What a great course. Beautiful artwork, and everything was so clearly explained and shown. Absolutely love the method of using a single watercolour too (my personal is Moonglow by Daniel Smith) I've never seen anyone else suggest it. Also made me want to read The Old Man of the Sea/Ernest Hemingway – what better compliment to a cover is there than that?!
Besides being able to relate to various stages of Owen's cover design process, I also learned about many new possibilities I never would have imagined... I've been illustrating and designing covers for 5 years and I can say that the course is valuable for both beginners and those who already have market experience. It's incredible, I have nothing but praise!
Um curso muito bom ótimo para que gosta de criatividade.