[Hiring] Illustrator for 6-book dark romance cover series — minimalist hand studies, limited palette
I'm looking for one illustrator to create cover art for all six books in a dark romance series. Publication target is early 2027. I'd like to find the right person this summer and have all six covers completed by late fall, with a hard deadline of early 2027.
The concept: Each cover features a single hand (or pair of hands) holding, wearing, or releasing a small silver key on a chain. The hand changes across the six books — different characters, different gestures, different emotional weight. Think character portraits, but the hand IS the portrait.
The style: High-contrast illustration on black backgrounds. The hands are rendered in luminous white/porcelain — not naturalistic flesh tones, not grayscale realism. The only color in the image is the silver of the chain and key plus one nail polish accent per hand. Everything else is black and white. The closest reference point is Sin City's selective color approach — monochrome with one color accent — but the execution is quieter and more refined, not comic-book.
Why one illustrator for all six: The hands belong to specific characters who recur across the series. One character's hand appears in four of the six covers and needs to read as the same hand aging through the story. Visual consistency is the entire design strategy. This isn't six separate commissions — it's one body of work.
What I have ready: Detailed per-book briefs covering hand position, chain/key staging, nail accent color, composition notes, and character context. Background adaptation specs for dark romance shelf visibility. Typography direction. You won't be guessing what I want — I know what I want and it's written down. What I need is someone who can execute it with the craft and subtlety it requires.
What I'm looking for in you:
- Strong hand anatomy. This is non-negotiable. If hands aren't a strength, this isn't the project.
- Willingness to engage with character briefs. The hands aren't generic — each one has specific posture, condition, and personality grounded in the story.
- Availability for a six-cover series starting fall 2026, delivering through early 2027.
Ownership: Full copyright transfer required. The finished cover art becomes my property — I need complete ownership of the illustrations, not a usage license. This is standard for commissioned book covers but I want it stated upfront so there are no surprises. Price your quote accordingly.
Budget: Starts at $150/cover and scales with portfolio match and experience. Tell me your per-cover rate or series rate.
Process: I'll review portfolios from responses here. If your work looks like a fit, I'll send the full series overview and one per-book brief so you can see the scope. Before committing to all six, I'd commission a single rough sketch of one cover (paid) to make sure we're aligned. If we move forward, the sketch becomes the foundation for the final cover — not a throwaway test.
To respond: Link your portfolio. If you have hand studies, gesture work, or limited-palette illustration in there, point me to it specifically. I'll be looking for whether your natural style feels like a fit for this project — that's a subjective call on my end, so don't take it personally if the work is strong but the aesthetic isn't what I need.