These are everywhere! Here's some from The Lunar Chronicles:
Up top from left to right there's Cinder, Scarlet and Cress. Then on the bottom left to right is Prince Kai, Wolf, and Carswell. These are some of the more popular images. My question is, do you ever look at fan art or any of this kind of thing? Does it ruin your image of the character if you imagined them a different way?
Personally, I don't really ever look at fan art or author inspirations. I have a certain picture in my head and seeing these just screws me up. They just feel... wrong to me. I have no idea why...
Here's one from the book Legend of Tess that the author, Marie Lu, actually drew herself:
Seeing this, it's nothing like I pictured Tess. Does seeing these mess you up too or does it actually make the characters clearer?
The thing is, generally, I really like the model on the cover of the book in the sense that they portray the character really well. I usually picture the main character (or whatever character is pictured) as the model on the cover. For example, in The Selection, I picture this model as America because in my mind, she fits her perfectly!
Or in the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series'. I picture the characters how they appear on the cover!
Do you picture characters as the front cover models/art, make your own image, or picture them like the fan art?
Oh my gosh, Marie Lu is so good at drawing!
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with you about The Selection, they couldn't have gotten a better cover model!
Sydney @ Miss Movie of Canada
Here's my most recent post: http://missmoviecanada.blogspot.ca/2015/04/teen-wolf.html
I know right! At first I didn't believe that she actually drew it but she did!
Delete:D I really like the model for The Heir too (even though I haven't read it...) it just looks right you know?
I tend to make my own assumptions about a character's appearance, but sometimes the cover model is spot on. It frustrates me when I read little-known or older books that don't have a cover model, and I can't give a visual to the readers of what they look like for my lists on Sunday, so I've been known to Sim some into existence (I use the character tool in Sims the video game and then take a screenshot, instead of having to actually draw something). Fan art never seems to ruin a character for me, because most people will, like me, have a different idea of how a character looks.
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion post, Laura!
~Litha Nelle
Ugh that is frustrating! When I read the Eragon series (not necessary little-known but still), I couldn't picture Eragon except that he didn't look like the movie casting. I'm still figuring it out...
DeleteSeriously? That's some skills!
I don't make fan art or fan fiction and I don't look at it too often. I think I look at fan art for video game characters more than literary characters. Maybe because they're already visual for me and I know the drawing will look how I envision the character to look. I do like some fan art of thing like Harry Potter. There are some amazing artists out there. I'll essentially look at the art if I come across it but I won't go looking for it....unless I'm in a super obsessive mood and then I might tool around on Deviantart getting my fix for a character!
ReplyDeleteVicarious Caytastrophe
Thank you someone else! I thought I was the only one! There are amazing artists for sure! When I was browsing the internet looking for pictures to feature in this post, I saw some seriously awesome stuff. Haha I totally know what you mean! You read this super awesome book/series and there isn't going to be another one so you just gut the internet looking for stuff related to it! That was me after reading Eragon :D
DeleteI usually look at the book cover to picture a character, if they are not there then I look at at the character description and think of a random actor/model would fit the role. I watch a lot of tv and films so there is a variety of people in my head!
ReplyDeleteNaomi @The Perks Of Being A Bookworm
Nice! I bet your really awesome at making dream casts for movies made from books right? :D
DeleteFan/author art doesn't destroy my image of the characters and neither do actors. I just imagine who I imagine. I'm kind of weird like that.
ReplyDeleteYou lucky duck! I seriously wish I had your skills!
DeleteI always like to imagine the characters exactly how they are in my mind. Movies usually ruin that, except believe or not The Mortal Instruments cast was pretty darn close to what I imagined.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I actually agree with you on that. Only Hodge looked different than I imagined.
DeleteOccasionally I'll come across some fanart and I don't think it ruins how I see the character even if they don't look how I imagined them. I also don't really pay that much attention to cover models so that I can picture the character for myself and I'm also drawn to books that don't have a person's face on them.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Erika @ Living for the Books
Really? I guess that would be a way to keep it completely in your head! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI like the drawings/sketches more so than dream casts from authors. But once I read a book, I definitely get an idea of who I'd want to play the characters in a movie. So a mix of both? I am totally with Erika, though I don't pay any attention to cover models. To each their own!
ReplyDeleteI do as well actually! You must be really familiar with actors as well then! I know there's probably the perfect actor out there to portray different characters but I don't know their names! For sure!
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