Again, it begins with the manuscript, in this case written by Carroll Mavis-Raine.
Ione mentioned that "The Highwayman" would be the story excerpted.
So my knee-jerk reaction was to base the cover illustration on that.
Never mind that the stories spanned all times and settings.
That point didn't really hit home until I read the book.

So I rendered a pose that would illustrate a scene from "The Highwayman."
I wasn't happy with it; the book is more than what is portrayed here.
Why not save myself the hassle and ask Ione what she thought?
So, before I even submitted anything, I did exactly that.

Good thing I did! She had the perfect suggestion: fireplace.
Many of the stories somehow had the essence of fireplace,
and it didn't matter where or when they were, either.
So here I've rendered another pose and traced it.
This concept sketch is what I sent to Ione.

Click here to see the concept in production! >>