Dream City Knight’s: The Making of a Book Cover
By Alexandros Papadakis
When thinking about the design of the Dream City Knights book cover, we wanted something that would really invoke nostalgia for our teenage years. We also needed something that, somehow, looked simultaneously mundane and dreamy. A room of a teenager felt almost right, and along a few references this was the brief our artist received.
The initial illustration was conceptualized and drawn by Stefano Cardosselli, and, after several rounds of feedback, colored by Lorenzo Scaramella, before reaching John Vgontzas. The latter put everything together, and transformed the already lovely illustration into an actual cover fit for a TTRPG book.
Looking at the completed work, one has to admit that working with immensely talented people, and watching them evolve an idea to a beautiful cover, is a fascinating experience indeed.
The first drafts already looked very promising and soon things started taking shape.
Adding detail was what helped the illustration convey the required atmosphere, and, finally, when the color was added, the illustration and every single one of its many details just came to life.
The finished book cover respected the artwork, but also ensured that the title of the book stood out, and that only the absolutely necessary information made it on there.
