The Not-So-Accidental Blog Tourist Hop

A huge thanks to C. Lee McKenzie for selecting me to participate in this hop! 

As you guys know, I did a version of this hop back in April on my writing career. This time, I thought I'd use my graphic design work as the basis for each question. :)


1.What am I currently working on?
 

Whew! Let's see... five book covers, a trailer, a few web graphics, a logo, and some print pieces.

*passes out* 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

 

A few examples:

- I don't do the cookie-cutter thing. If every other person in your category/genre is using selective color, two fonts mashed together, and an almost-kiss, you can bet I'm going to find a way to spin it.

- I'm a perfectionist and will let you know when I think something isn't working. 

Then again, I'll also let you know when I think something is awesome and wish it were my own. LOL

- While other designers may use fancy tools for swapping things out, I prefer to (digitally) "hand paint" details as necessary.

- I sometimes write ridiculous and/or inappropriate comments as text placeholders in friends' mock-ups... *cough*

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

 

I love the challenge. Photomanipulations are my favorite, because every  experience teaches me something—making my next piece all the more real!

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

I usually send my clients a questionnaire to get a feel for their project, and then... I stalk them. :D 

Okay, that sounds a little creepy. What I mean is, I check out their web presence—colors they gravitate toward, themes they're repeatedly drawn to, etc. If I can, I try to work some of that into the design (which is usually hashed out on a scrap sheet).

After that, it's time to create a few digital mock-ups and send them over. We discuss what we like and don't like, and then I make the necessary adjustments. Lather, rinse, repeat...

Finally, we have a finished piece of art, ready to share with the world!

I tag these two writers/creators for next week/whenever, if they're up for it:

Joylene Nowell Butler

Joylene, Métis, has been writing her entire life. She began her first novel in 1983 to honour the passing of her father. Today she and her husband live in the home they built with their own hands on Cluculz Lake. Her first novel Dead Witness was a finalist in the 2012 Global eBook Awards. Her suspense thriller Broken But Not Dead won the 2012 IPPY Silver Medal for Canada West. Her newest novel Break Time, the steampunk anthology is now available on Kindle and in print. Joylene is currently applying final touches to two suspense thrillers. 

Loni Townsend

By day, Loni writes code. By predawn darkness, she writes fantasies. All other times, she writes in her head. People call her peculiar with a twisted sense of fashion, but don’t let those understatements fool you. Her behavior is perfectly normal for a squirrel disguised as a human. That’s part of being an epic ninja—blending in.

She makes her home in Idaho with her sadistically clever—yet often thwarted—husband, two frighteningly brilliant children, and three sneaky little shibas. Thanmir War, her first book, was published through Stoneword Press in December 2013. Be sure to check it out!