Step One  
Art Director’s Notes

Ideas for a cover typically began with a meeting between the art director (AD), editor and others responsible for the sale of the book. The team worked with author scene suggestions but also had to consider brand, other titles being published that month, and the all-important intangibles: what they knew the reader of any particular line category would want, and how to build a book-buying habit. The cover was an ad campaign as much as an illustration; details were important.

With concept in hand the art director would write “standard operating procedure” notes to convey setting, mood, level of sensuality, character features, props, poses, etc. and mail these to the artist. Often, the AD added a letter to further define what the cover needed to include and where the artist had leeway.

STEP two
preliminary sketch

Based on these notes, the artist would look for possible models in their agency “look books” and work up preliminary sketches to test out poses, layout options and color palettes.  In Frank’s case these were small (3x5 or 4x6), quick, loose works that he would use to provide direction for the cover shoot and cover design. For specific reference materials (mountain scenes, international locales, a type of house) Frank visited the clippings collection at the local library or checked his own reference folders, filled over the years with pages cut from magazine subscriptions.

STEP THREE
COVER
SHOOT

With preliminary sketches in hand, the artist would stage a cover shoot using models and props to capture required poses and expressions.  In Frank’s case he also served as the photographer, using a Rolleiflex 4x4, working out of Addie Passen’s Union Square studio and later at Michael Frost’s.  From dozens of negatives, he would select two to three to blow up in various exposures and use during the painting process. Finding the right models and getting the right shot was crucial; the outcome could make your job significantly easier or present real challenges.

STEP FOUR
PENCIL
SKETCH

Though a special job with high sales expectations could require a comprehensive layout (or comp, for short) most of the time the artist would next do up two pencil sketches for approval using reference material from the shoot.  These would be mailed or faxed to the AD, sometimes including pose photos from the shoot, after which the AD and artist would talk and make any necessary changes.  After receiving AD approval, the artist would begin the final piece, keeping their delivery deadline in mind.

STEP Five
Final
artwork

Once the artist completed the illustration, the final work was sent to Toronto .  At one time the art was physically mailed; later, to save space and avoid lost product, the illustrator would mail two 4x5 color transparencies instead.  One transparency was filed and the other used in the production of the cover.  On occasion a revision to the artwork would be required, along with new transparencies. Such changes were rare, since Harlequin worked with skilled illustrators and an experienced art team who knew what each cover required.

STEP SIX
FINAL
COVER

With artwork in hand, the art team would add the series logo, book title and author name to create a “complete cover,” and the author would finally get to see how the book would appear to a potential reader.  Almost always, everyone was happy.

This process repeated itself across multiple art directors and artists; at the time Harlequin published upwards of 40 titles per month.  Frank usually had one or sometimes two covers going at a time, and frequently worked late into the night.  It was a lot of work to keep up with readers who could finish a novel a day; sometimes the paint barely had time to dry.