As I sit at my table, talking to people looking at my books, people often ask about the artists. “Who did that cover?” In this and a few other interviews, I’m hoping to answer that question.
Christian Renee Bressler was a lucky choice when I was first hunting for artists to help me with my books. I was asking everyone if they knew of artist that might be available — and here she was, right in my family. Roswell or Bust, my second novel was approaching the deadline and I needed a cartoonish image and Christian put it all together.
Introduce yourself. What kind of work is your specialty? How long have you been at it?
My name is Christian Bressler. I am 27 years old, wife to Brady of almost 6 years and mother to Landri who just recently turned one. I grew up in Canyon, Texas and received my bachelors in Advertising Design at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. I recently made the big switch from being a full time graphic designer/brand manager at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to staying home with my daughter and focusing my energy on being a mom and on my business. I own Spirited Expressions here in Amarillo, Texas where we do “paint and sip” classes. I also am a freelance graphic designer, working on projects spanning from logos to book covers, wedding invitations to advertisements and everything in between. I would consider graphic design to be my specialty. I have been working as a graphic designer professionally for 6 years.
How did you meet up with Henry Melton and why did you decide to help him with his art needs?
I’m lucky enough to call Henry my great-uncle! He asked me about working on a cover design while I was still in college. I was more than happy to get the chance to work on the cover of Roswell or Bust. It was such a fun project, I couldn’t pass it up!
Many artists collaborate with others to produce the final image. Did you create the cover art yourself, or with the help of others? If this was a collaboration, then who did you work with?
I mostly just worked with Henry to match what he had envisioned for the cover. But I created the cover art myself.
Were there any notable difficulties, or high points in creating the image?
One of the hardest things with any novel, I think, is illustrating the characters. Bringing to life something that is described in text. People tend to develop the image of what they think the characters might look like based on the text and individual perception, so trying to do the book justice was probably the most challenging part. Also, the book cover was created while I was still learning design programs and developing my sense of style. Challenging, but also a wonderful experience!
What is the hardest part of doing cover art for novels?
Same as above. It can be challenging to create a single image to encourage someone to not only pick up the book, but also depict the content. Whether with illustration, photography or even just typography. But this is also why I love working on covers! I like the challenge!
Do you prefer to work from a single concept? Or would you rather read the text and create an appropriate image?
I think it depends on the project. I think it is definitely more beneficial to read the text first. Then you have a full picture of what could be and multiple ideas can be bounced around.
Where is your artwork leading you? Do you intend to do more cover art, or have you passed that by and are heading for other goals?
I think a little of both. After I graduated from college, I started working as a graphic designer at a publishing company. I got to get my feet wet in the world of creating covers, and laying out books. Since then, I have done a few covers here and there. I always enjoy those projects and hope to continue to work on more in the future! I’m always up for a new and exciting challenge.
Where can the reader see more of your work? Do you have a website? Are there other notable works they can find?
Some of my freelance and stationery design work can be found at www.urbanbeedesign.com. I also create several of the original paintings found at www.spirited-expressions.com.
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Thank you, Christian, for a cover that always attracts attention at my table and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.