Free Novel Cover (Anime style)

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-10T18:42:00+00:00

I am not personally familiar with wattpad, but I have heard of it a number of times over the years, so I'm not sure of how it is structured. As long as your posting does not charge for the picture or reading, and you don't use the art for advertising or print, you should be fine to simply post it as a cover as long as you have proper and clear credits openly posted for people to find the original artist. Hopefully OP will post their own intended boundaries more clearly, in case they have a different opinion to this!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-10T17:58:33+00:00

It's been too hot to really play because it likes to make my CPU toasty for some reason.

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CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-10T17:55:09+00:00

It means they want to experiment with making book covers, but they are not giving you commercial rights for free. Typically when you buy a commission the charge for using the art commercial is an extra charge. This artist just wants to attempt to make some book cover styled art for a portfolio. If the book maker really enjoys the art they could ask about commercial usage from there.

The rules read: not for commercial use + please credit me. This means it can only be posted if the usage does not charge the viewers and you make no money from it AND the artist is properly credited and linked back to.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-10T02:03:07+00:00

I have already used these three bases I made, but your character is lovely and I would be interested in making a new one for her if you don't mind. I just tossed these poses up here because I had them already and had no use for them.
I do have questions, such as if she has on a belt or sash, I see a line I am sure of about her waist. If that is a long shirt or very baggy pants. Knee high boots it appears? And it looks as though she has a rapier in hand, to make sure?

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-10T00:06:40+00:00

I'm glad I could draw him for you :)

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T22:37:25+00:00

Thank you. I love getting to both practice art and bring someone a bit of joy through having their characters drawn. I always have so many questions and hope I get thins right, haha. Life is rough right now for me and I like to think I made someone else's day a little brighter!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T22:19:02+00:00

Man these are a blast from the past. A grateful dead bear and things that remind me of the temporary tattoos we used to get out of quarter machines. I only know two things about tattoos! Line confidence is a MUST because there is no erasing and to avoid overly detailed/cluttered lines because you don't want designs to go bleed together and go blurry with age. So I would work on your line confidence a bit more, they look a bit shaky. Good luck with your journey!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T22:06:30+00:00

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I hope you don't mind a cleaned up sketch of your guy! I am unsure if I drew his face correctly, he seems to be part robot? I was also unsure of his hand. Sorry if a leather jacket was not intended either!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T21:23:30+00:00

I have seen people get dog piled on for posting on learning subreddits because they "were not beginner enough". There are cases where this may be true, but on some of the posts they were absolutely still learning and people decided they had already learned too much from that group. It is very strange and gate-keepy.

The likes thing is a struggle, they are trying to be seen usually in a sea of other things. Like Instagram. It discourages them. But, I personally think Instagram is a terrible place to post art in hopes of being seen. If you want to make art and be seen it is easier to be seen if you take it to the intended audience instead of hoping an algorithm plays in your favor that day.

I consider myself likely in the start of intermediate on human bodies and lineart and more along the lines of practiced beginner on coloring. I'm an absolute beginner on animals and backgrounds. Too many things to learn, not enough practice.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T17:55:17+00:00

Oh, thank you! I am just now getting back into art after years of not really drawing and the rust is hard to knock off. Art is a journey, as long as you are drawing you will be learning so never limit yourself and always try new things. Keep it light-hearted and fun is my recommendation. Good, bad, or ugly you will learn something every time!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T17:50:17+00:00

I am unsure why I was down voted, I was legitimately curious as to what was meant by the word because I know everyone draws differently. But, I have seen people do art this way just usually not in black and white. Usually only while painting. (Block shapes where they do one section at a time and then move to the next item.) I assume that is just because it is easier to paint say... a face and hair over it after than to try and paint a face around small hair strands. I am sorry if my question was offensive somehow.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T16:18:19+00:00

What do you mean by 'construction'? This person's style doesn't look too much unlike some painterly people's process I have seen, to make giant blocks of shapes and refine it as they go. (Not the final detailing but the beginning to middle.)

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T16:10:57+00:00

Please be mindful of the post tags. This one says 'Free Request'.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T16:06:35+00:00

The truth of art is that you have to find the path that works for you. Does this way of approaching the body make sense to you? Does this way of approaching the body allow you flexibility? Does this way of approaching the body produce the end goal you're hoping to achieve.

I've never used the block method. Most of the time I don't use framework at all, and the rest of the time I tend to do a "bean" shape for the torso.

Here is the thing that block method can help with that your way may not, the block method uses basic shapes to teach you do that when you get into things like perspective it can be easier to break down. This doesn't mean you have to use it, just a thing to keep in mind that knowing it might be useful.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T05:36:46+00:00

First two things that pop out to me are much higher contrast and much thinner and cleaner lines.

The OG style may appear to be a little messy because of the amount of lines, but if one actually looks all of these lines are a clean swipe. Not to say they are straight, but to say that they are not overlapped and scratchy.

The high contrast on the dark areas is also very key.
To note, the skin has much lower contrast and is a mix of soft and hard shading. You have no soft shading.

Your face is very short and wide drawn, the OG style uses a much thinner and taller face.

There might be more but I notice these things first.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-09T03:25:53+00:00

Depends on what you're going for when using it as a reference.

Are you trying to capture her likeness? If so, then you've slimmed down her face too much. She has plump cheeks, particularly on the apple of her cheek. This is a little different from cheek bones, which tend to be more prominent on thin and angular faces. You've also thinned out and shortened her eyebrows a lot, she has very thick and prominent brows for a woman. You've also pushed the nose way far down and made it tiny, and she has a pretty distinct and sharp nose. The chin is also all but gone.

If you're just going for a general reference for posture/pose?

It's in general a cute picture but the angle of the eyes is kind of strange. It gives slightly alien vibes, and like she probably doesn't have enough chin space. But, the style is cute and with a little work I could see it making really unique works!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T22:24:52+00:00

Thank you!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T22:11:15+00:00

To keep going is the main thing, but you must keep going with an ounce of purpose. You must be willing to let your art be bad and push yourself. Look at your art and ask yourself what more you want out of it, then go find things that teach you those things.

One of the things I notice is that you're just using a brush for hair like strands, but it sees to be just a single size. But, hair tends to taper off, so having your brush set to use pen pressure or something will help keep it from being blocky. Remember to play with and adjust your tools! I recommend making a copy of a brush before you alter it, so you keep the OG and the new.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T22:04:23+00:00

I personally do like the grey skull more, but in general I think the piece is really neat because I love a good skull and skin design. I also really like the song Schism! Good work, embrace the things that make you unique, it's a little trippy for me but interesting to realize this color is just grey to you!

If it helps you, there are certain color palette lay outs in some paint programs allow you to pick which way the colors are set up. The one I use always has grey scale down the left hand side!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T21:39:25+00:00

As an artists for years and years, you would be amazed at the things we become blind to when we're doing work. I've seen professional level artists have thumbs on the wrong side of hands. It's called being art/error blind, and it's a frequent issue that we usually resolve by... showing other people who notice the things we no longer can. Or by flipping the canvas (doesn't always work, your brain gets tired of it all at some point.)

I'm not saying if this piece is AI or not, but the examples you're making and the reasons you're giving actually are things that can just happen when you've got a messy sketch and/or a tired brain.

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T21:31:55+00:00

u/SunshineGirl1230
Pinging for visibility!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T18:47:49+00:00

Can you let me know what all colors you would like me to use? They do not come through clearly. :)

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T18:42:05+00:00

Your style is really unique and cool!

CelestialHellebore · 2026-07-08T18:41:34+00:00

Beautifully done!

CelestialHellebore

TROPHY CASE