Image - 2026-09-23 10:41

Vertical book cover illustration, front cover only, 2:3 ratio. A surreal, poetic seascape. The background is a vertical gradient from deep indigo at the bottom to crystal white at the top, with a wide band of turquoise water in the middle that looks like a rift between two worlds. The water is NOT realistic — it is painted in soft watercolor style, with blurred edges, light splashes, and thin golden veins flowing across its surface. The water has no shores — it extends beyond the edges of the cover. It is everywhere. In the center, slightly below the middle: a small wooden rowboat, WITHOUT oars. It does not move — it just floats. Inside the boat sits a single human figure, seen from behind, looking forward. The figure is calm, still, choosing. The boat is positioned in the lower third of the composition, not touching the bottom edge. On the horizon, far away: thousands of tiny red dots — other boats. They are all rowing. They are all moving in one direction. They are all competing. The hero's boat is the only one that stands still. This is not a mistake. This is a choice. In the water reflection: the sky is reflected, but NOT the hero's boat. Instead, the reflection shows an old map with drawn routes, arrows, and tiny symbols (no text, just symbols). The map is the past. The boat is the present. The water without reflection is the future. Around the boat: faint golden dust particles floating in the air, like dust caught in light. Color palette: deep indigo #0A1A2F, turquoise #1E8B9E, aquamarine #7FD4D4, crystal white #F0F8FF, warm gold #C9A227, muted red #8B1A1A, dark wood #3B2A1A, dark silhouette #0A0A0A. Texture: soft watercolor, paper grain, subtle splashes, golden veins. Dreamlike, poetic, surreal. Style: minimalist conceptual nonfiction cover, dreamlike, poetic, surreal. TYPOGRAPHY — MUST BE EXACTLY AS WRITTEN: - TOP, centered, thin elegant serif font, small size, deep indigo color: "Аркадий Тятькин" - BOTTOM, centered, large bold sans-serif font, slightly distressed, deep indigo color: "Превосходя конкуренцию" COMPOSITION RULES: - Top quarter: clean light space for author name. - Center: the wide band of turquoise water with the lone rowboat. - Lower third: the boat and the figure, the water reflection with the old map. - Bottom edge: clean water space for the title. - Nothing important touches the edges — at least 5–10 mm of empty space around the perimeter. - The red dots on the horizon should be small and far, not distracting. Mood: poetic, surreal, hopeful, philosophical. The feeling of leaving the game — not by winning, but by choosing a different ocean. No watermarks, no frames, no borders, no bright colors, no clutter.