Julia, the most appealing thumbnail I see here is #18, except I would make it twice as tall (a portrait ratio rather than a landscape ratio). Say it is 5" wide by 4" tall now, I would make it keep it 5" wide, but extend the lower part to make the height 8" tall. That way, you can include the full room, or much more of it.
What appeals to me much in that thumbnail is that on the right you have the windows, and those could be casting strong graphic shapes of light onto the floor and the rest of the room. Those light effects would also cast shadows (from furniture and other things on the floor of the room). That light could cause some of the gold medals to glisten and the areas not in the light could stay low-key and mysteriously dark. Opposite the wall of windows (where one would still be slightly opened, because that's the one the thief would have used to enter), the viewer would see a wall with decoration (medal cases, furniture, paintings on the wall -- that tell us more about the Mannering family). Finally, ask yourself when this scene takes place. If it's shortly after the murder and sweep by the police, maybe there are still indications of the violence that happened there. That would be more grisly, but maybe powerful for an illustration (that's up to you -- I'm not sure I'd do it, but it's a matter of dramatic preferences).
Julia, the most appealing thumbnail I see here is #18, except I would make it twice as tall (a portrait ratio rather than a landscape ratio). Say it is 5" wide by 4" tall now, I would make it keep it 5" wide, but extend the lower part to make the height 8" tall. That way, you can include the full room, or much more of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat appeals to me much in that thumbnail is that on the right you have the windows, and those could be casting strong graphic shapes of light onto the floor and the rest of the room. Those light effects would also cast shadows (from furniture and other things on the floor of the room). That light could cause some of the gold medals to glisten and the areas not in the light could stay low-key and mysteriously dark. Opposite the wall of windows (where one would still be slightly opened, because that's the one the thief would have used to enter), the viewer would see a wall with decoration (medal cases, furniture, paintings on the wall -- that tell us more about the Mannering family). Finally, ask yourself when this scene takes place. If it's shortly after the murder and sweep by the police, maybe there are still indications of the violence that happened there. That would be more grisly, but maybe powerful for an illustration (that's up to you -- I'm not sure I'd do it, but it's a matter of dramatic preferences).
Go for it, says Bob!!