One more version, please.

Well,  I got the painted Freedy Filkins cover, and it didn't quite do it for me.

We'd gone through about 4 drawings before the final, and there were parts of each I liked, so I spent all night cutting and pasting different elements until I found a version I liked.

I don't know if she'll be willing to do yet another version, so I'm going to offer her two payments--one which she's done so far, and one for what I'd like her to try one more version.

All the pieces are there, but they needed to be arranged. Colors have to be right.  The picture is a little too busy with design elements.

I need more blue sky above the picture for the title.  I need to simplify the colors -- and so on.  It's a matter of simplifying and cohering.

I hope she'll agree to do it one more time.

What I'm noticing with artists is that they are focused on the art -- duh.  But I'm as focused on the design elements, how it works as the cover of a book, which isn't exactly the same thing.

I think I'm good at the designing of a picture, that is, which elements go where.  I just can't draw.  (Similar to people telling me that they've got ideas for a book, they just aren't good with words...heh.)

Anyway, she works fast, so I'll probably still have the final version within a week or so.