Do making the covers just come naturally to you, or does it take you a lot of planning, thought, and time to draw them?
Well, I usually read the entire book first, and usually somewhere near the end of the book images start to form in my head. I usually spend a couple days putting together sketches of my idea. With the Percy Jackets specifically, I knew that there were going to be five covers so I had that in mind when I thought of the design.

Which cover out of all the 5 books was the hardest to draw? Which was the easiest? And why?
The first one was definitely the easiest. Partially because it was the first cover I had ever created (for any book) so I wasn't thinking too much about what other people might like, I just painted what I thought would look cool. I wanted to create a tension between the sky (Zeus) and the water (Posiedon) and have Percy sort of stuck in the middle. As you know, it is not a scene in the book, but I think represents his situation pretty well.

The hardest one to draw was probably Battle of the Labyrinth, because it was a really complex story with several different story lines happening. I wanted to come up with an image that represented ALL of that, but in the end it was too busy. I am very happy with the final image, although I had one sketch that I was really excited about that got rejected. I think perhaps it was too conceptual. Here it is:

Click the Image to view it larger

Do you take specific time and detail when you draw Percy (Or in this case- when you draw Percy's back)?
Okay, the reason I never draw Percy's face is because when I read a book and I see the main character on the cover it never gives me a chance to develop my own ideas about what that character looks like. As I said before, I always read the whole book before I draw the final covers and I try to put specific details in there that I feel are important. But you all are the experts, so I am sure I have missed something once in a while.

Do you decide on what scene from the book to draw on the cover, or do you discuss it with Rick Riordan to decide what image you want on the cover?
For some of the books I decided what to put on the cover, and other times when I was stuck my Art Director or the Editor would give me suggestions. I do know that Rick looks at all the sketches before I do final art, but he usually doesn't give suggestions about what it should look like, unless I've missed an important detail.

What do you use for coloring the covers?
I draw the covers in pencil, and then scan it into the computer and paint the colors in Photoshop.

How did you get the job drawing the PJO covers?
I was called up by an editor that I had worked with a long time ago, he said they had a book that they wanted re-do the cover for. He gave me the manuscript and I came up with a sketch that they all liked very much. After I delivered the final painting they wanted me to do all the rest.

How closely do you work with Rick Riordan regarding what things look like (i.e. settings, Percy, Blackjack, etcetera)?
Once in a while Rick will chime in with some detail. Like on the first cover, I had drawn Riptide like a broadsword and Rick was kind enough to send me some pictures of what an ancient Greek sword looked like.

Do you enjoy what you do?
Yes, very much. Anytime you get to spend a few days getting lost in a book, and then paint a picture of your experience with that book is a good time for me!

Is Percy's face going to be revealed on The Last Olympian?
You'll have to wait and see!!!!

Do you guys (You and Rick) look at any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians' fansites?
I have seen several of them, including yours. I think it is great!!!

Will there be more than one character on the cover of The Last Olympian?
You'll have to wait and see!!!!

When will the cover of The Last Olympian be revealed?
Not sure, perhaps sometime in April? Maybe on PublishersWeekly.com

Does the mood of the book affect your main color choice for the cover?(Lightning Thief-Green)
I tried to make a beautiful series, so sometimes it does, and other times I think what it would look like next to the one previous.

What happens to rejected covers you make? Do you get covers rejected for Percy Jackson?
I actually ended up making about 5 different covers for the Titan's Curse cover before I arrived at the final jacket. You can see the whole process here: http://roccoart.blogspot.com (in the article dated August 04,2006 )

What is your favorite form of art? (Illustration, Still Life, Plain Air, Portrait, etc...)
I really enjoy Children's book illustration, especially the old masters like N.C. Wyeth, Arthur Rackham and Maxfield Parrish.

So you plan on where the Title of the book is going to show? (In your covers?)
I usually design my covers with room on the top for the title and room on the bottom for the author's name. That's fairly typical, but sometimes on other books the Art Director will give me different direction for that.

Did you draw the character art featured in The Demi-God Files?
No, I haven't seen that book. Is it good? I understand it has some Percy short stories and other tidbits. I was asked to do character art at one point, but sadly I was too busy at the time working on my picture books.

What's your favorite part about making art? Starting it? Working on it? Finishing it?
Personally, I love the whole process from beginning to end. I have to. I mean, if I didn't I would do something else for sure. But when I get really excited about a painting is when I am about two thirds of the way done, the home stretch. I just get really excited to wake up and keep working on it.

Do you ever wish you could change something on the covers?
Sometimes, but that usually has to do with how the final art ends up printed. I do the final art on the computer so it ends up looking very different on the screen then when it gets printed on the book. Sometimes too dark, or too saturated, but if that happens the publisher and I will fix it so that it looks as good as possible. I think there are a few copies of the Lightning Thief out there that look too dark and oversaturated (the Hardcover re-issue), but then that got fixed.

Is there a limit to how plot revealing a cover can be?
That's a tough question. When I paint a cover I certainly don't want to give too much away. I try to capture a moment in time that gives the mood of the adventure ahead. Something that makes you want to open the book. I think the Percy books can be very funny at times and I think that's great, but as you know my covers are not really "funny" per se. I usually find that comedic covers don't hold as much promise for me as a cover that has a sense of mystery.

Thanks for all the great questions. I can't wait for you to see the art for "The Last Olympian." It's a great book with tons of action!

Best,
John