Create an illustration for the cover of a new non-fiction book.

Brenits Creative

Branding agency, designing for clients in a variety of fields.

Looking to commission an illustration for the cover of a self-published book I am designing for a client.

The author is a certified therapist and counselor, and this is her second “indie” book that will be published directly to Amazon. It’s a collection of anecdotes and insights related to working with patients, who are in abusive relationships.

The title is “You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But, you can’t make them Cha Cha! Why some people stay in abusive relationships And some don’t”. The author's style is direct, yet humorous (not dark humor). She often curses like a sailor, so we're looking of something that is part raw and part refined.

We are looking for an image of a person dancing with a horse, relating to the title. The image would be used on the cover, and promotions that display the entire book cover. Samples attached of the styles we are looking for, with the ones that look less computer generated being preferred (hand drawn samples of the donkey on Elephant, and racehorse).

The illustration will need to work on either a 5x8 or 6x9 cover design (text treatment not determined yet).

UPDATE TO BRIEF: The dancer (a man) represents family/friendS who are trying to get help for someone in an abusive relationship (represented by the horse). The human dancer should look pleased/happy (because they are trying to get someone help) and the horse - which should be asesxual (so as not represent either male or female) - should look slightly confused as if wondering "Why am I dancing?" "why is someone trying to get me help?" "what am I doing here?". Also, the author has now requested the horse should be wearing a tutu, to further the absurdity and confusion of the situation. People in an abusive relationship with a narcissist don't often realize that they are in one.

As a 25-year veteran of the design field, I'm looking forward to working with an artist who brings ideas to the table and is looking to collaborate.