While I don't take requests, I do sometimes make covers for requests found in the wild that inspire me. Or pose a challenge. Or I just have time.

This one is the result of the combination of all those factors and reasons.

This story is written by UnboundWings if you're looking for something to read. I heard only great things about her writing. It's on my to read list as soon as I find some time.

The request was fairly simple (dark, smoke and a katana) accompanied with few inspiration pictures. I'm not at home so I can't make thematic preview of those inspiration covers but I might add them later. For now imagine simple object based fantasy covers, without a lot of flare but quite effective.

I liked the part about the smoke the most. I find it hard to work with it and it usually makes dark things much lighter, which is obvious on the first version of the cover:

While this first version is more smokey it also seem more muted and without proper focus or contrast that I really want my covers to have.

So, I reduced the smoke and moved it below the top ornament. Increased the darkness of the background and made red stronger and shiner.

I couldn't find where I saved those ornaments, I'm sorry.

I will probably create a premade shop at the beginning of this book for all the contest covers that are bookless.