I’ve done a lot of projects with chris at phalanx over the years, so when he asked me to do a personal illustration for him it didn’t take long for me to agree. He wanted an amalgamation of a couple different marvel characters, captain america’s loyalty, juggernaut’s unstoppable nature, and sebastian shaw’s ability to take in an attack and multiply it back at them. It sounded like a lot of fun, and I had a pretty solid idea of how the visual elements could work together.
I’d been slowly developing a new process through a few different client projects. Taking illustrations out of clip studio paint and into adobe photoshop. Building value through multiple hatching layers, layering textures and lighting effects. All of it coming together with a comic book style. This wasn’t the first illustration I’d done with these techniques, but it was one of the first where they all came together so easily.
I often hear other artists complain about clients, complain about jobs, and with the same breath mention how they never get offered work with the potential to be really cool. As an artist, at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what the job is. All that matters is whether you have the skills to execute it, the time you need, and the creativity to do it. Even if a job doesn’t feel like something ground breaking, if you have an open minded client, you can turn it into something special. Develop good communications with clients, go out of your way to nurture those relationships. While you may never get anything out of it, there’s a strong chance you will. Be patient, let your work, and your clients experiences speak for you. You may find yourself busier than you ever expected.
