Handmade & folk
Mexican Calavera / PosadaDeath, dressed for a party.
Grinning skeletons in fancy dress, framed by papel picado cutwork and marigolds, drawn with bold engraved outlines in vivid saturated color.
Make it yoursA good fit for
Darkly comic novels, community cookbooks, and winter songbooks.
A little art direction
Put the skeletons to work in the notes, cooking, singing, lighting candles. Keep the tone playful, never spooky, and keep the tagline short so the border can carry marigolds.
The palette
From these words to these book covers
Now make it yours See the style in action.
Open larger viewFiction or poetryThe Tallow Works
Open larger viewNonfictionThe Community Kitchen
Open larger viewFiction or poetryThe Lantern Keeper
Open larger viewNonfictionCarols & Candles
Open larger viewFiction or poetryNight Bloom
Real generated examples; your own result will vary. The exact prompt behind each one is further down the page.
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The prompts behind these book covers.
Each cover above was generated from the prompt below it, unedited. Copy one as-is or change the details. Your image-making app may interpret the style differently each time.
Fiction or poetry · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstThe Tallow WorksRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a work of fiction, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: The Tallow Works Subtitle: A novel Author: Dara Fenwick Publisher: Barbary Coast Press ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in Mexican Calavera / Posada style. Visual vocabulary: skeleton figures in animated poses, dressed and accessorised; decorative papel picado (paper-cut) border patterns; marigold flowers (cempasúchil) as decorative motifs; vibrant colour — yellow, orange, pink, purple, cobalt blue; bold outline drawing in woodcut or engraving tradition. Lettering direction: hand-lettered bold display type; decorative letterforms with floral or bone-motif embellishments; text integrated within the decorative border. Suggested colors: vivid saturated warm and cool — orange, yellow, pink, cobalt, purple, black. Composition: central skeleton figure with decorative border; text in ornamental band. Atmosphere: joyful, celebratory, dark-funny, distinctly Mexican, community. Keep out of the design: mournful or horror-movie treatment of death, Northern European Halloween aesthetic, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A grinning skeleton in an apron dipping candles at a vat, marigolds and papel picado framing it. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Nonfiction · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstThe Community KitchenRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a nonfiction book, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: The Community Kitchen Subtitle: Fifty suppers cooked by neighbors Author: St. Brigid's Volunteers ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in Mexican Calavera / Posada style. Visual vocabulary: skeleton figures in animated poses, dressed and accessorised; decorative papel picado (paper-cut) border patterns; marigold flowers (cempasúchil) as decorative motifs; vibrant colour — yellow, orange, pink, purple, cobalt blue; bold outline drawing in woodcut or engraving tradition. Lettering direction: hand-lettered bold display type; decorative letterforms with floral or bone-motif embellishments; text integrated within the decorative border. Suggested colors: vivid saturated warm and cool — orange, yellow, pink, cobalt, purple, black. Composition: central skeleton figure with decorative border; text in ornamental band. Atmosphere: joyful, celebratory, dark-funny, distinctly Mexican, community. Keep out of the design: mournful or horror-movie treatment of death, Northern European Halloween aesthetic, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES Three skeletons in aprons stirring an enormous pot together, steam curling into marigolds. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Fiction or poetry · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstThe Lantern KeeperRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a work of fiction, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: The Lantern Keeper Author: Hollis Pine Tagline: A ghost story for winter nights ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in Mexican Calavera / Posada style. Visual vocabulary: skeleton figures in animated poses, dressed and accessorised; decorative papel picado (paper-cut) border patterns; marigold flowers (cempasúchil) as decorative motifs; vibrant colour — yellow, orange, pink, purple, cobalt blue; bold outline drawing in woodcut or engraving tradition. Lettering direction: hand-lettered bold display type; decorative letterforms with floral or bone-motif embellishments; text integrated within the decorative border. Suggested colors: vivid saturated warm and cool — orange, yellow, pink, cobalt, purple, black. Composition: central skeleton figure with decorative border; text in ornamental band. Atmosphere: joyful, celebratory, dark-funny, distinctly Mexican, community. Keep out of the design: mournful or horror-movie treatment of death, Northern European Halloween aesthetic, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A skeleton in a long coat holding a lantern aloft on a hill of marigolds. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Nonfiction · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstCarols & CandlesRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a nonfiction book, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: Carols & Candles Subtitle: A songbook for winter Author: The Bay Community Choir ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in Mexican Calavera / Posada style. Visual vocabulary: skeleton figures in animated poses, dressed and accessorised; decorative papel picado (paper-cut) border patterns; marigold flowers (cempasúchil) as decorative motifs; vibrant colour — yellow, orange, pink, purple, cobalt blue; bold outline drawing in woodcut or engraving tradition. Lettering direction: hand-lettered bold display type; decorative letterforms with floral or bone-motif embellishments; text integrated within the decorative border. Suggested colors: vivid saturated warm and cool — orange, yellow, pink, cobalt, purple, black. Composition: central skeleton figure with decorative border; text in ornamental band. Atmosphere: joyful, celebratory, dark-funny, distinctly Mexican, community. Keep out of the design: mournful or horror-movie treatment of death, Northern European Halloween aesthetic, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A choir of skeletons in scarves singing with candles held high, papel picado overhead. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Fiction or poetry · GPT Image 2.5 SunburstNight BloomRead the exact prompt
Create a finished front cover for a work of fiction, in a 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Produce the flat front cover artwork only, without spine, back cover, book mockup, or shelf. COVER TEXT Use the following book information exactly as written. The labels before each colon are for you, not for the cover; print only the text after them. Do not invent extra text, quotes, or awards. Title: Night Bloom Subtitle: Poems Author: Ada Merrow Publisher: Posterage Press ART DIRECTION Interpret the supplied brief in Mexican Calavera / Posada style. Visual vocabulary: skeleton figures in animated poses, dressed and accessorised; decorative papel picado (paper-cut) border patterns; marigold flowers (cempasúchil) as decorative motifs; vibrant colour — yellow, orange, pink, purple, cobalt blue; bold outline drawing in woodcut or engraving tradition. Lettering direction: hand-lettered bold display type; decorative letterforms with floral or bone-motif embellishments; text integrated within the decorative border. Suggested colors: vivid saturated warm and cool — orange, yellow, pink, cobalt, purple, black. Composition: central skeleton figure with decorative border; text in ornamental band. Atmosphere: joyful, celebratory, dark-funny, distinctly Mexican, community. Keep out of the design: mournful or horror-movie treatment of death, Northern European Halloween aesthetic, artificial yellowing or ageing. Apply the visual language to the supplied brief; do not invent historical affiliations, endorsements, or extra copy. ILLUSTRATION NOTES A skeleton woman in a flowered dress cradling a giant open blossom under papel picado. These notes guide the imagery; do not print them as text. Make the title the strongest text element and the author name the second. Keep everything else small. Check spelling and retain the supplied wording. Do not include these instructions, labels, watermarks, or extra slogans in the artwork.
Prompt version 1 · 5 generated examples · Copy-and-paste guide →
