There’s always a reason

I’ve been showing some of my process on these Invincible Universe covers, and one of the common questions asked has been, “why didn’t you do your rough sketches in a sketchbook instead of doing it directly on the final page?”

Two reasons:

1. The primary reason is because I already had a final version of the headshots that would be in the background. I knew I was going to have (in this case) Omni Man in front of Invincible. I could spend all kinds of time finding a cool pose in my sketchbook, only to realize it wouldn’t layout correctly once paired with Mark.

So doing the full layout together saved me the guess work of ensuring that Omni Man would compliment Invincible and not obscure or conflict compositionally.

2. I knew that I would be scanning in these pencils, adjusting, creating final pencils, and then blue lining them for final inks.

One of the best lessons being an artist has helped me come to terms with is that everyone has their reasons. Their logic. Their experience.

And whether you agree, disagree, or are indifferent, everyone who exists has managed to survive their life up to this point, same as you.

Maybe we measure success differently. Maybe we have different experiences that have created the thoughts behind each decision. Maybe we get very different results.

But it’s hard to deny that we are both here, in this world, as survivors of our circumstance.

Having some measure of compassion and respect for that may provide us both with more patience for our differences.

And ideally, if we can have some curiosity observation, and appreciation for those differences we might learn something that makes us better, more well rounded human beings.