Artist: Ken Otsuka
Some romance cover artists like Ken Otsuka work for only a brief period in the field yet leave a lasting impact.
The Japanese-born-American artist Otsuka painted sweet book covers in the 1990s for publishing houses such as Kensington’s Zebra and Bantam’s Fanfare lines.
For over 40 years, he has worked in commercial and then fine arts. Otsuka’s seascapes are so realistic that you can swear you hear the ocean while gazing upon them.
His artwork appeals to the romantic senses, whether he created moonscapes, fantasy-romance clinch covers, or whimsical stepbacks featuring a swan lake or snowy background.
The Covers
For the week of Monday, September 27, 2021, to Sunday, October 3, let’s take delight in the beauty of Ken Otsuka’s romance covers!
Eden Creek, Lisa Bingham, Pocket Books, 1991
Promise Me Magic, Patricia Camden, Bantam, 1995
Swan Bride, Betina Lindsey, Pocket Books, 1990
Lady Defiant, Suzanne Robinson, Bantam, 1992
Beautiful. Promise Me Magic is my fav too though as an L.A. gal I love snowscapes. They’re so exotic!
MaryAnne, not only do you have sharp eyes, but fabulous taste! That’s my favorite cover, too. The kitty cat sealed it!
As for the twin outfits…I was so busy focusing on another cover that looked similar to Lady Defiant, I neglected to notice the EXACT matching outfit on Promise Me Magic! 😀
Now that I think about it, quite a few artists did used the same garments for covers. Although, they usually switched up the color schemes. Still, I like this. I can add it to my Pinterest as a twinning pin.
Thanks so much, Jacqueline! All these covers are gorgeous. But I like the second one best. A hot dude, an emo chick, a fairytale castle, pink morning glories. And a kitty!
Say, did you notice that the female models in the second and fourth illustrations are wearing the same dress? Otsuka must’ve liked it!