I’m a big believer in giving credit where credit is due. So I wanted to take a few minutes to sing the praises of my amazing cover artist for the first three books in the Tales of Talon series. I hope you enjoy a look into the imaginative mind of Justine Cruz

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When did you first know you were an artist?

I think when I was in elementary school. I remember the moment when my classmates were having trouble drawing our national hero, and one of them asked me to draw it for her. I ended up drawing for more than half or our class. That was the time I realized, ‘Hey I like to draw!’

What was your first sale or professional job?

I was an in-between artist at a Japanese animation studio here in the Philippines. I took part in some well known anime like One Piece, Dragonball and Digimon.

Are you self-taught or did you have a formal education in art?

I’m a Licensed Registered Nurse. So yup… I’m a self taught artist. I did the art thing seriously after I passed the board exams.

How would you best describe your style of art?

I lean towards a realistic style. But I can also do stylized art.

[image error]Talon the Slayer, Cover Art

What is your favorite medium to work in, and why?

Of course right now, it’s the digital medium. It makes the work faster and more practical. But once in a while I still use pencil and acrylic to practice and to do some personal stuff.

What drew you to the Talon covers?

I love the idea of the story. It’s like combining Thor Ragnarok and Conan. So cool!

[image error]Talon the Raider, Cover Art

How did you approach combining the science fiction and fantasy aspects of Talon’s world?

First of course is research. I looked for some inspirations from fantasy and sci fi movies I enjoyed.

What other things influence your work? Music, writing, etc?

Cool artwork, music, exposure to new things, and nature.

How did you conceive the color palettes and look of each Talon cover? Did you approach them in a different manner than your other work?

The palettes I’m working with here are totally new to me. When you compare this to my other work, this was way out of my comfort zone. That’s why I really liked it. I Learned new things on this project, so I’m thankful.

[image error]Talon the Hunter, Cover Art

What other projects are you working on now?

Right now I’m doing some illustrations for Artifact Dota 2 card game, Argent Saga card game and Malkyrs interactive card game.

Where can readers find more info about you and your work?

They can search for me on different websites like:

Artstation: justinecruz.artstation.com
Facebook: Justine Cruz art
Instagram: @justinecruzart
Twitter: @justinecruzart

Anything else you’d like to add?

I just want to say thanks to the author for this opportunity and for being nice and very cool. I hope that this project will reach many readers. I enjoyed working on it a lot!