Having originally gone into the field of illustration some 25 years ago to create book covers in the spirit of my longtime art heroes, I was finally given the chance to fulfill this dream by a good friend. The image was meant to capture a portrait of one of the central characters in the story, in all his refined/traditional manner. A formal pose/setting felt like the dignified approach, all while still being able to add a few easter eggs for those following the story closely... no spoilers!