Client: Online Author (Self-Published) Designer: Whitney Espinoza Project Type: Romance/Fantasy Book Cover Design Tools Used: Photoshop, AI image generation, blending & compositing techniques Date: 2025

This book cover was created for an online fantasy-romance story titled “In My Dreams (Desire)”. The goal was to produce a visually captivating, emotionally intense cover that captured the dreamy yet dark chemistry between the two lead characters.

I used a combination of AI-generated visual elements, heavy Photoshop manipulation, and advanced composition techniques to blend everything seamlessly. The final result needed to feel cinematic, surreal, and full of romantic tension, in line with the story’s tone.

Create a high-quality, print-ready 6x9 book cover for digital and eBook publishing

Blend AI-generated imagery with custom Photoshop edits for a polished, hand-crafted look

Convey the genre clearly (fantasy/romance) and appeal to online story readers

Focus on atmosphere, emotion, and subtle storytelling through design

🧠 Concept & Theme

The story explores desire, dreams, and mysterious romance. I leaned into a moody, atmospheric palette with a soft glow and dramatic shadows to hint at the surreal tone. The male figure appears dreamlike or otherworldly, while the woman looks caught in a moment of awe or tension.

🛠️ Techniques Used

AI Image Generation: Used to create initial figure references and atmospheric details like lighting and environment

Ready for use as an eBook cover, online story feature, or digital print

Successfully matched the fantasy-romance aesthetic popular on platforms like Wattpad, Radish, and Kindle Vella

Elevated the story’s visual branding, helping it stand out among other titles in the genre

Client praised the emotional depth, detail, and realism of the final piece

This project allowed me to push the limits of AI-meets-artistry. While AI helped generate raw visual ideas, Photoshop was where the magic happened—through blending, repainting, and color matching to bring this world to life. Every detail was adjusted to enhance the emotional story behind the cover, making it not just a design, but an invitation to the reader’s imagination.