In My Dreams (Desire) Book Cover Design
Whitney Espinoza
In My Dreams (Desire)” Book Cover Design
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
📖 Overview
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.
🎯 Project Goals
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
🖌️ Creative Process
🧠 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
Photoshop Manipulation:
Blended multiple elements (hair, facial expressions, body posture) from different references
Repainted details for better realism and cohesion
Applied color grading and lighting overlays for mood consistency
Matched highlights and shadows across elements for photorealistic blending
Typography Design:
Used soft, serif fonts with glow and shadow to create an ethereal title effect
Positioned the subtitle "(Desire)" for emphasis and genre clarity
Final Polish:
Smoothed skin textures, added atmospheric mist, and applied sharpening to focal points
Ensured all colors and light sources matched the environment
✨ Results
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
💡 Final Thoughts
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.
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Posted Mar 12, 2024
Designed a dreamy romance book cover using AI-generated art and Photoshop. Blended, repainted, and color-matched elements for a cinematic, emotional finish.
