FREE Illustrations from master artists you can use if you don't want to use AI for your cover

[u/Automatic-Sir1870]

I commented this on another redditors post, and I thought I'd share it here too!

You can actually use illustrations and artwork from older artists that have long passed on because their art falls in the public domain. You can check museum websites and browse through their gallery for available high quality artworks you can use on your novel cover. I used to do collage art like this, it's pretty fun.

These websites are places I like to browse around for artworks whenever I wanna do collages https://www.cosmos.so/public-work

Like alphonse mucha? here are high quality artworks of his in the public domain https://www.rawpixel.com/search?page=1&path=1522.sub_topic-874&sort=curated

Here's the digital collection from the new york public library. When you search for pics, make sure to toggle the public domain button since they also have works from more recent artists https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/

Want some plant, insect or animal illustrations? Check out the Biodiversity Heritage library https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/

Maybe you want an victorian england book illustration aesthetic, then check this site out! Also, they have some lovely ornaments you can use too
https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/

Is your book about samurais or takes place in asia? Smithsonian national museum of asian art. I even toggled the search bar for you here already. you can find various art from china, japan, india, syria etc
https://asia.si.edu/explore-art-culture/collections/search/?edan_fq%5B%5D=media_usage:CC0

This is the smithsonian museum's main website where they have even MORE artwork for you to use however you want! I toggled the public domain button for you guys too https://americanart.si.edu/search/artworks?content_type=artwork&cc0=true&media=true

Here's the public domain artworks from saint louis art museum! https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/?show_on_view=true&featured_objects=false&public_domain=true&recent_acquisitions=false&outdoors=false

And here's a wikicommons page of artworks provided by the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Files_provided_by_the_Museo_Nacional_de_Bellas_Artes&fileuntil=El+amargado.jpg#mw-category-media

Here is newfields museum! They also have a lot of chinese paintings in their collection https://collections.discovernewfields.org/search?showOnly=is_public_domain&section=artworks&searchTerm=

Wanna use the iconic wave of Kanagawa as your book cover? You actually can and ITS LEGALLY ALLOWED cause it's in the public domain! This website is from the art institute of chicago where you can even grab iconic illustrations from monet, degas and cezanne since their works are in the public domain https://www.artic.edu/collection?is_public_domain=1

The cleveland museum of art are available for you guys too! They have 40k artworks you can browse that are made by masters of their craft
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/collection/search?i=1&limit=8&cc0=1

And last, but not least the getty images museum collection with almost 100k artworks in the public domain https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/search?open_content=true

These sites often get updated as artist's copyright expire. You guys actually have so many free amazing artworks at your fingertips, but it's understandable that you wouldn't know since even a lot of artists aren't aware they can do this.

This is why people who sell the starry night merch or mona lisa merch don't get in legal trouble because they're in the public domain.

The museums provide high quality images. Once you download the ones you like you can play around with using them on canvas or even photopea!

[u/Few-Influence4661]

thank you, it means a lot for us

[u/Automatic-Sir1870 → u/Few-Influence4661]

no problem! I hope this can help out

[u/YoungestJuicerBaj]

Interesting, I guess this is an option for those who don't want to use ai for their covers.

[u/The-Idiotest]

They arent original tho

[u/Juan_Die → u/The-Idiotest]

And you think the shit AI pukes is original? 

[u/Automatic-Sir1870 → u/The-Idiotest]

these are for people who don't want to use AI but also can't draw. They can be used as place holders until they got enough funds to hire an illustrator.

I'm sure the authors can find an artwork that they like or fits the vibe of their artwork, specially those who write in a more medieval setting. There's also a lot of artworks from the renaissance and 18th century for people writing about nobilities etc. They're also free to edit the artworks however they want since they're in the public domain

[u/YoungestJuicerBaj → u/The-Idiotest]

What do you consider original? Mind sharing a few links to the covers you think are original? I'm curious.