Steampunk Horror: Mary Poppins vs. the Great Cthulhu

  • Status: Closed
  • Prize: $200
  • Entries Received: 35
  • Winner: licarto

Contest Brief

EDIT: Added pictures for examples of Victorian dresses.

I am looking for color character concept art to be used as a book cover. The characters \ elements to be included in the cover are:

EG - female, mid-30s, tall \ flat-chested, with olive-skin and long dark hair styled up in a bun; wears a high-necked victorian dress (or skirt and blouse) and boots - holds a pistol in one hand and keeps another at her hip (flintlocks); in her other hand, she holds a lantern which functions as a faerie's cage \ emits an eerie glow.

AW - 50s; very big guy, broad-shouldered, tall, etc; built like a linebacker. Keeps a two-handed sword on his back; wears leather armor, breeches, and boots; handlebar moustache. He helped raise Evelyn from the time she was a little girl, and is always close behind or at her side.

The Creature (optional) - a monstrous insect with a greenish-black carapace, a "primordial nightmare of antennae, chitin, and clacking mandibles"

"Greycoats" (optional) - city watch members in barbutes and breastplates, with rifles, spears, or swords, may be carrying a lantern or torch

"Bluecoats" (optional) - laborers, equipped with tools such as shovels, pickaxes, etc; may be carrying a lantern or torch.

Scene Options:
1) an underground cavern with tunnels and light, accessed via shaft above. Carved into the walls are grinning frog-faced statues with fat bellies, like little Lovecraft Buddhas. Optionally, elements of an ancient, buried Greco-Roman city may be visible embedded in the walls as well (columns, arches, etc.)

2) "The Chamber of Eyes" - entering a massive underground cavern \ chamber, with a Greco-Roman Temple in the center; the walls are covered in eyes - these are open to interpretation; they may be carved from stone, or may be formed by monstrous insects curled up into an stylized eye-shape.

3) "The Estate" - at night, outside a large estate in a city with a distinctly "medieval German" vibe; lanterns or torches for illumination, etc. Characters should be approaching the estate.

Recommended Skills

Employer Feedback

“Carlo did an excellent job capturing the atmosphere we were looking for with our book cover contest.”

Profile image BlackbriarST, United States.

Top entries from this contest

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Public Clarification Board

  • bestsellingcover
    bestsellingcover
    • 5 years ago

    Don't end the contest yet, please! Still working on my entry ! :-)

    • 5 years ago
  • sarahakaider
    sarahakaider
    • 5 years ago

    I don't have any drawing ability, so I cannot enter this contest; however, I am also a major steampunk lover, so I stopped by to say that this work sounds amazing. Would love to follow your progress, if you have a website or SM pages I could follow.

    • 5 years ago
  • zohb123
    zohb123
    • 5 years ago

    will you allow very realistic original hand drawn picture then digitally processed in Photoshop.....please tell

    • 5 years ago
    1. zohb123
      zohb123
      • 5 years ago

      24 days remaining___I will take about 2 weeks to come up with a finished work..starting from tomorrow.....please consider.

      • 5 years ago
    2. zohb123
      zohb123
      • 5 years ago

      please wait I'm working on your brief....as I said earlier I will make it realistic and well finished....please wait...

      • 5 years ago
  • marinasanc
    marinasanc
    • 5 years ago

    Would you please provide some feedback on entry #17 ?

    • 5 years ago
  • felixhadi
    felixhadi
    • 5 years ago

    I am in....please don't close the contest until the set date

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      Don't worry, we'll leave it open until the end.

      • 5 years ago
  • diaco80
    diaco80
    • 5 years ago

    Please check entry #13

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      I provide feedback on the entry itself - not sure if you saw that.

      • 5 years ago
    2. diaco80
      diaco80
      • 5 years ago

      yes, I saw it. when I have the changes, I'll upload it

      • 5 years ago
  • kellynya
    kellynya
    • 5 years ago

    Hi, do you want any particular style, realistic, cartoon, comic, manga etc?

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      I am leaning realistic on this, but am open. A pulp comic vibe would also work.

      • 5 years ago
  • SenseiMikkicca
    SenseiMikkicca
    • 5 years ago

    hi,Im posted couple of my older works.Take a look and tell me do they suite you.If style is O.K. tell me to continue on project.

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      Your art style is absolutely fine - there is also a strong possibility that will be putting out another call for black & white illustrations for the interior, where a pulp \ comic book style would shine.

      • 5 years ago
  • MarkIllustration
    MarkIllustration
    • 5 years ago

    Can we add some additional pieces of clothes ? Like hat, glasses, gloves, necklace etc.

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      Absolutely.

      • 5 years ago
  • dienel96
    dienel96
    • 5 years ago

    Hello, photomanipulation is accepted for your book cover? Pls check my profile to understand what i mean.

    • 5 years ago
    1. dienel96
      dienel96
      • 5 years ago

      Sure... all images will have copyright and i can give you the source link for pictures used in the cover.

      • 5 years ago
    2. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      Excellent!

      • 5 years ago
  • diaco80
    diaco80
    • 5 years ago

    Hi. I don't understand where to put the creature in the scenes

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      The creature is optional. If doing the underground scene, it could be emerging from a darkened tunnel, barely visible; if doing "The Chamber of Eyes" it could be on the walls in the distance, or in the temple, or wherever. If doing "The Estate" it would not need to appear, or could appear in the distance crawling around a house or something.

      The creature, greycoats, and bluecoats, are just optional components an artist could include in the illustration if desired; the only two critical "characters" are EG and AW.

      • 5 years ago
  • PatkosTamas
    PatkosTamas
    • 5 years ago

    What are the exact dimensions of the book? Also I presume there should be left room for the title/author?

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      The book is 6" x 9" - this would be best approached as a standalone piece of artwork; a little extra "background" room around the edges so there's some play when it comes to positioning might be useful.

      • 5 years ago
  • nghivo9490
    nghivo9490
    • 5 years ago

    I need to re-confirm your brief.
    You're looking for a Illustration to be use as book cover. With 1 of 3 scenes you provided. The Illustration should have 2 main character, other are optional.
    So this is 1 Illustration right ?

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      That is correct.

      • 5 years ago
  • xxaetherxx
    xxaetherxx
    • 5 years ago

    Are you looking for an illustration in digital or traditional form?

    • 5 years ago
    1. BlackbriarST
      Contest Holder
      • 5 years ago

      Very open to either option.

      • 5 years ago

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