New story cover: The Doll’s Interrogation

Would you read a story with this cover?


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ElijahRyne

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That does look a lot better! The dramatic lighting definitely adds a lot. I think instead of a warm yellow light, maybe a colder white/light bluish light would fit the grim, cold atmosphere of an interrogation room. The warm light right now feels like sunlight, making it almost optimistic in a way rather than the eerie effect you want (I assume).

I still think the table may look a bit too big for the angle you’re going for? It should be a bit flatter. You could crop it so the doll is more centered. Add some streaks of light grey on it to make it look more metallic! Also the shadow of the doll could probably look more natural if it overlaps them more, so that it looks more like shadow rather than a mysterious phantom… though I’m not sure if your program has the layers function. I also think adding a shadow of the doll to the table would look more 3D, like they’re actually looming over the table. I did see the paper creases on yours btw! I just didn’t add them on mine because it was a quick sketch haha. If you have layers on your art program, you could download a wrinkled paper texture and slap it on. If not, try to draw blocky shapes of various shades of grey to mimic the wrinkles instead of just lines. You can look up wrinkled paper references. These are all just some suggestions, no need to use all of them!
5D60239C-3306-485B-8127-C7F591948639.jpeg

Something like this? The most I have for the paper texture is the brushes I have, here I used the pen and smudge tool. Don’t know if it is visible with the lighting though.
 

pangmida

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View attachment 43281
Something like this? The most I have for the paper texture is the brushes I have, here I used the pen and smudge tool. Don’t know if it is visible with the lighting though.
Definitely a lot better! Bravo!

I think I figured out why it still doesn’t look eerie enough. Having the bright light come from one direction makes it seem like there’s a giant window where the sun shines in. But we want it to look more like a ceiling light, right? So maybe you could shade in the other side as well, make it dark, and then have the light come down from the center top. Don’t be afraid to add lots of darkness! I also think the wall being teal, at least a very saturated teal, also takes away from the mood slightly because it’s a warmer color than, say, blueish grey. Decreasing the saturation could create a more grim tone. ?

These are the images I’ve been referencing. There are tons more, of course. But this was the first thing I had in mind.

1764099711138.jpeg


1764099805142.jpeg

Ohh you know? Erase the line that separates the head and the neck! The paper doll references I use don’t have that, so it looks more 2D! Would make it creepier in a realistic setting.
1764100094763.jpeg
 

ElijahRyne

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Definitely a lot better! Bravo!

I think I figured out why it still doesn’t look eerie enough. Having the bright light come from one direction makes it seem like there’s a giant window where the sun shines in. But we want it to look more like a ceiling light, right? So maybe you could shade in the other side as well, make it dark, and then have the light come down from the center top. Don’t be afraid to add lots of darkness! I also think the wall being teal, at least a very saturated teal, also takes away from the mood slightly because it’s a warmer color than, say, blueish grey. Decreasing the saturation could create a more grim tone. ?

These are the images I’ve been referencing. There are tons more, of course. But this was the first thing I had in mind.

View attachment 43282

View attachment 43283
Ohh you know? Erase the line that separates the head and the neck! The paper doll references I use don’t have that, so it looks more 2D! Would make it creepier in a realistic setting.
View attachment 43284
You mean something like this for the lighting right?
E6460AC3-909E-496C-BAD4-8CD043853EED.jpeg

as for the neck, the original doll in question is made from enclosing a wooden or bone flute as the spine, and a hamster ball for the hole, in paper mache forming the rough shape of a human. Then paintin/coating that paper mache in plaster. All that to say, I think that the separation between the neck and head makes sense, because it is essentially a flute and a ball kept together with paper.
 

Anonjohn20

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For the current story I am writing, I decided I was far enough to create a cover. Tell me your thoughts, and general vibes you get from the image. Is it good or bad? Would you read a story with this cover? Why/why not?

View attachment 43255
P.S. I am an fairly bad artist, but I think this is of okay quality.
It needs to be in a dimly lit room and on the other side add a detective dressed in noir. LOL

you can use AI
That would be less appealing than a hand-drawn cover.

View attachment 43281
Something like this? The most I have for the paper texture is the brushes I have, here I used the pen and smudge tool. Don’t know if it is visible with the lighting though.
Much better.
 

ElijahRyne

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It needs to be in a dimly lit room and on the other side add a detective dressed in noir. LOL


That would be less appealing than a hand-drawn cover.


Much better.
Do you prefer the one with light from above, or from the side.
 

CinnaSloth

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doll.png

Idk. I'm sure it looks blah. I'm not very good with Lighting stuff.
Drawing people (or dolls) is hard. That's as far as I was able.

It's book cover size. Sadly, it loses a lot of detail when shrinking, which is why I haven't bothered drawing my own book covers. lol
I kind of wish SH supported larger pictures for book covers. I always get the "ran out of room" message..
 

ElijahRyne

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View attachment 43290
Idk. I'm sure it looks blah. I'm not very good with Lighting stuff.
Drawing people (or dolls) is hard. That's as far as I was able.

It's book cover size. Sadly, it loses a lot of detail when shrinking, which is why I haven't bothered drawing my own book covers. lol
I kind of wish SH supported larger pictures for book covers. I always get the "ran out of room" message..
Looks great! I cannot convincingly draw someone sitting. I drew mine on a small canvas, so that minimal detail is lost when shrinking.
The only thing I can criticize is knowledge hidden from you, that being that the ‘doll’ is a man with intricately styled long hair.
Either way, it looks good. The thing you did with the shadow was also nice.
The only cool tool I have is a gradient fill. If I make the colors in that gradient black, clear, and then the color of the light source, I can mimic a flashlight/directional light. So my image is three layers, the one with the drawing, the one with the lighting, and the one with the text.
 

CinnaSloth

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Looks great! I cannot convincingly draw someone sitting. I drew mine on a small canvas, so that minimal detail is lost when shrinking.
The only thing I can criticize is knowledge hidden from you, that being that the ‘doll’ is a man with intricately styled long hair.
:sweating_profusely: oh, thats entirely my fault. I legitimately thought it was a female doll. cause.. "doll", you know. maybe I missed something above mentioning a "he" and just overlooked it, cause all I've been reading was "It", and I assumed. That's on me for not asking. I also didn't ask if it was okay with you if I tried my hand on it, which I do apologize for. I just thought it'd be fun to try. Oh, well. lol Maybe next time. :blob_hug: Goodluck though!!!
I wish more people who could draw would give it a shot too. I personally don't care for Ai either. Seeing other people's different art styles on this would be super fascinating. right?
 

ElijahRyne

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:sweating_profusely: oh, thats entirely my fault. I legitimately thought it was a female doll. cause.. "doll", you know. maybe I missed something above mentioning a "he" and just overlooked it, cause all I've been reading was "It", and I assumed. That's on me for not asking. I also didn't ask if it was okay with you if I tried my hand on it, which I do apologize for. I just thought it'd be fun to try. Oh, well. lol Maybe next time. :blob_hug: Goodluck though!!!
I wish more people who could draw would give it a shot too. I personally don't care for Ai either. Seeing other people's different art styles on this would be super fascinating. right?
I don’t care if you redraw it, especially if you enjoyed doing so. I don’t think I mentioned the gender, so it is understandable and not really a mistake. Tbh, I didn’t think there would be folks redrawing the concept, so I didn’t give much detail on the character…
 

CinnaSloth

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I wouldn't mind giving it another shot if you want to describe them here. (Maybe not today), But it would be entertaining, especially, if more people would be willing to try also, even if they can't really draw. (Hint hint guys if anyone else is reading this.) I just think it'd be fun.
 

ElijahRyne

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I wouldn't mind giving it another shot if you want to describe them here. (Maybe not today), But it would be entertaining, especially, if more people would be willing to try also, even if they can't really draw. (Hint hint guys if anyone else is reading this.) I just think it'd be fun.
Should I describe the person witnessing this image too?
 

ElijahRyne

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Make the doll a futa, please.
……………..:blob_facepalm:
I wouldn't mind giving it another shot if you want to describe them here. (Maybe not today), But it would be entertaining, especially, if more people would be willing to try also, even if they can't really draw. (Hint hint guys if anyone else is reading this.) I just think it'd be fun.
Here is what is in the image in my mind. There is a crudely made paper mache doll sitting in a foldable metal chair sitting at a grey wooden table, it has handcuffs on. It’s arms look weird, almost like the shirt was insufficientlystuffed with something, and then sewed onto the paper mache wrist/hands of the doll. Imagine a stereotypical mummy painted/coated in plaster, and you have somewhat gotten there with how the doll looks. The left side of the forehead of the doll has a dark hole in it. The doll has long intricately styled hair, and is wearing a long sleeved shirt and blue jeans. The wall is drywall painted a dark shade of cyan.

Here isThe the background behind the image. The ‘doll’ is Gerald Frol. He is a man in his early 20’s. He was arrested/taken into police custody because he purchased items that were used in a bomb. While in custody he confesses to killing 15 people in the past two months, setting off the aforementioned bomb on a busy bridge, which injured 38 people, and he claimed to have committed at least 5 acts of arson, 3 which lead to the injury of others. All of this was due to a ritual he was a part of. Because of this ritual he had to kill ‘competitors’ to ‘ascend’, whatever that means.

Gerald Frol claims that the interrogation that results from his confession is the final part of his ritual. The main interrogator, and the pov of the one that scene/image takes place from, is Detective Dien Jackson. Detective Jackson investigates the various crimes that Gerald Frol confessed to, but could not tie him to the crime/event. In fact, for most Gerald Frol has an airtight alibi. However, each of the 15 murder victims were accompanied by a crudely made paper mache doll covered in plaster, this is the only thing linking the murders together the acts of arson have no link outside of Gerald’s confession.

All of the dolls in the shape of various animals/creatures, and each of their heads and method of construction is the same. The forehead of each doll had a hole, that led to a hollow sphere. In the construction of each doll the spine of each doll was a musical instrument made 100% of a biological material, bone and/or wood, and each head was an ovaloid with a hamsterball as the ‘brain case’.

Gerald Frol is a meticulous person, every detail matters to him. His voice is quite, but his voice is steady. When he has a goal he knows how to achieve it, and will walk twords it. He likes to take control of his environment, and if he must be around others he prefers to be in control. However he would rather avoid them. Gerald is lanky, has long brown hair, green eyes, and even when handcuffed manages to style his hair.

In the scene that the image takes place, Detective Jackson is interrogating Gerald Frol. Gerald explains how the dolls were made, and how they, after he began this ritual, became the shadow of each participant. As he speaks in the detective’s vision Gerald’s body becomes a humanoid doll, in the style of the dolls found at the murder scenes. The only thing is that there was no humanoid doll found at the murder scenes. The hole in its forehead is endless pit, the harsh desk lamp‘s light makes Gerald’s shadow seem as if it is moving.
 
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