Recently, I was introduced to a certain sub-genre of literature known as Dinosaur Erotica. Not being much of a reader, I confess I tend to judge books by their covers. After seeing some examples online, I have to say, I wasn’t too impressed with the effort made by these designers and illustrators. The people and the animals aren’t interacting and there doesn’t seem to have been much thought given to composition. I’m not sure exactly who the target audience is for this type of fiction, but I got the idea that a stylized illustration parodying old romance novel covers could add a sense of irony that might draw readers who wouldn’t otherwise have any interest in this type of thing. Here is my first crack at it:
I decided to go with a classic dinosaur style with dragon scales instead of the more bird-like appearance of modern dinosaur depictions. I thought this gave the illustration a sense of romance that might have been missing in a more realistic approach. I have to admit, that I secretly hope this will lead to some freelance work. I will be contacting some of these Dino Erotica authors soon…