Dan dos Santos

The expert illustrator shares his story, tells us about his sketching habits, and gives an insight into his workflow for creating stunning book covers

- 

Seven times a nominee for a prestigious Hugo Award, we had certain expectations when we asked Dan dos Santos for a peek at his sketches. Even then we were awestruck at what we saw. His talent explodes from the page, whether it's cover art for bestselling books and comics, or his work on the Marvel Masterpieces trading cards. Dan was kind enough to give us the lowdown on how sketching fits into his process.

Did you have a formal education in art, or are you self-taught?

I went to a four-year art school, and studied illustration pretty intensively. I focused as much as I could on traditional principals and painting techniques during my time at school, but learning art never really ends. I've picked up just as much since then from other sources over the years, including workshops, online courses, my peers, and just plain old experience.

How much of a part does sketching play in your workflow, and what does that look like?

Sketching has a huge role in my work. Because I'm a commercial illustrator, I'm always working within my client's guidelines. Sketches provide my client not just with options, but a roadmap for the entire project. Sketches are absolutely integral to any project, and arguably the most important phase.

Is sketching more for practice, or is it better suited to playing with new ideas and building on something you have in your mind that has yet to actually hit the page?