Hi, I'm looking for an illustrator/designer to create a full book cover for a 5.5 x 8.5 inch book.
I have two reference images: One for illustration style One for text placement / layout structure
I'll provide both so you can understand the visual tone and composition I'm going for.
Book Details
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Genre: Relationship / personal development (specifically for gay men)
Tone: Emotional, reflective, intimate, slightly cinematic, modern
Title:
for gay men,
not ready to give up on love.
Subtitle:
a code and a conversation about building something real.
Visual Concept
I want the cover to visually communicate loneliness inside a crowded space.
The scene should be:
A dimly lit gay bar environment.
The viewer perspective should feel like we are walking into the bar.
The foreground (closest to us) has 2–3 men clearly visible.
The rest of the bar fades into darkness / blur / abstraction toward the back, almost dissolving into an abyss.
The visible men are standing or sitting, each on their phone.
They look sad, disconnected, lost, or emotionally distant — not exaggerated, just subtle loneliness while staring at glowing screens.
Even though they're physically near each other, no one is actually connecting.
The mood should feel: Quiet Introspective Slightly heavy but not depressing Cinematic, not cartoonish Emotional but not dramatic
Style - I will provide reference images for:
The illustration style (e.g., semi-realistic, minimal, moody, textured, etc.)
Text layout placement (how the title and subtitle interact with the image)
In general, I'm looking for: Soft lighting Slight blur or fade into darkness in the background A subtle color palette (moody blues, purples, low warm lighting, etc.) Something that feels artistic but still commercially clean
Contract duration of less than 1 month. with 30 hours per week.
Mandatory skills: Graphic Design, Cover Art Design, Book Cover