Tom Edwards is a freelance illustrator and concept designer. He has created concept art for racing and mobile games, but his true passion is sci-fi and fantasy art. Since 2015, Tom has worked as a full-time freelancer focusing mainly on book covers, but also working on a number of other projects that include character design and board game artwork.
Hi Tom, and welcome to SFFWorld. You have an incredible portfolio of artwork! To start with, could you tell us about some of your most recent designs?
Thank you for opportunity to talk about my work. Some of my recent covers were done for P. R. Adams and his Infinite Realms series, set for release this summer. They are a cool mix of sci-fi and fantasy, so I really enjoyed working on them. A lot of inspiration was taken from the video game Destiny. The covers had to look like they fit into both genres, which was a challenge, but incredibly fun at the same time.
What’s your design process for cover art? How closely do you work with the authors or publishers?
I work extremely closely with my clients. After receiving a brief, I paint a rough or two depending on the complexity of the design. The client then offers feedback and we go from there. I update them after every session, so they see the painting come to life. This continues until we’re both happy with the final illustration.
Which were some of the covers that first sparked your interest in the profession?
The first one I can remember was a cover for Dune. It was a copy my Dad had from when he was younger that he gave to me. It’s predominantly blue and yellow, with a group of Fremen on the front and a harvester on the back. I loved the style, and it made me want to read the book. I’m not sure who painted it, but it’s one of my all-time favorite covers.
On your website, you have examples of work in science fiction and fantasy. I know you’ve also designed covers for horror. Are there any genres or subgenres you haven’t worked with yet and would love to have a go at?
I’m not sure my style would suit a lot of other genres, but maybe crime and thriller definitely sparks my interest. I’m always open to other genres, but sci-fi and fantasy remain my absolute favorites.
Since 2017, you’ve been running the Covers for a Cure campaign to raise funds for the Parkinson’s UK non-profit organization. Could you tell us more about this yearly event?
It was my girlfriend that came up with the idea of auctioning the covers. Natalie also gave me the idea to do pre-made covers in the first place. Anyway, I wanted to raise money for my Mum as she has Parkinson’s Disease. The best way for me was to auction some of my covers off. With the help of Keystroke Medium we set the first one up, raising £3,125 in total. They ran another one last year without me, but I hope to help out in future fundraisers.
Besides book covers, you also design board game art. What are the particular challenges in this field, and what is your process for it?
I love board game design as it’s very graphic design based. I studied graphic design at college in the UK, and it’s really helped over the years, particularly with book cover design. It’s a similar process in terms of a brief and a rough draft. The challenges come from the subject matter and the particular rules and restrictions the board game may have. Everything has to work and look clear, and must also fit within the grid or frame of the actual board itself. It’s definitely a fun field to work in.
What’s easier to work with: the client who gives you full artistic freedom, or the client who knows exactly what they want?
To be honest I don’t mind either, and a mix of the two is great. On one hand I know exactly what to paint, taking away a lot of the guesswork on my part. I can focus purely on the painting and style. Being able to work with full freedom obviously is great too, and this can sometimes lead to the best covers.
Which author, past or present, would you love to design a cover for? And if you could choose any existing book to create a new cover for, which one would you choose?
That’s a great question. Isaac Asimov springs to mind, and I’d love to produce a Dune cover. I worked with an artist called Fred Gambino. He was a big name in cover design through the 80’s. He did the cover for Asimov’s Foundation series. He was a great mentor for me while I worked with him, and he’s helped me a lot.
On the fantasy side, I’d definitely like to have a go at the Game of Thrones books.
How about non-book-cover dream projects? What fields would you love to break into?
I’ve recently completed and released a graphic novel called ‘Priming the Charge’. Parker Davis wrote the script, and I illustrated the pages. It was a very fun and challenging project, and I’d definitely like to work on another. I think concept art for film would be great too. Sci-fi specifically. Being part of a talented team and working on something big would be a great experience.
What are you working on right now?
At the moment, book covers. I have another pre-made set releasing in April, so I’ll be spending a lot of time over the next few months preparing those. Even though I mainly work on book covers, it’s still varied. I’m constantly amazed by the briefs the authors give me, and I never have a dull day painting their ideas.
Thanks for stopping by to answer all our questions! For those who are interested in Tom’s work, you can find his art and further information on www.tomedwardsdesign.com.
Interview by Juliana S Mills for SFFWorld.
