Dan dos Santos, one of the most celebrated book cover artists in the industry with hundreds of published covers and dozens of New York Times bestsellers to his name, has opened his sketchbook to reveal the hidden world of unused artwork that never made it to publication. The seven-time Hugo Award nominee recently shared exclusive insights into his creative process, along with a collection of rejected sketches that showcase the extensive conceptual work behind his iconic cover designs.
As a commercial illustrator specializing in fantasy and science fiction book covers, dos Santos faces a reality that many in his field know all too well: for every approved sketch, three or four equally compelling concepts end up discarded. "One of the sad facts about commercial illustration is that for every sketch that gets approved, three or four equally deserving sketches will be rejected, never to see the light of day again," he explains. "Sometimes those rejected sketches are actually my favourites. To me, they're the inklings of paintings full of great potential that I'll never get to see fulfilled."
The artist's approach to his craft is methodical and intensive, with sketching playing a central role in his workflow. Despite creating his final pieces using traditional oil paints, dos Santos performs all his initial conceptual work digitally, allowing him to quickly experiment with color and lighting effects that would be difficult to achieve with pencil and paper. "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," he notes.
Among the unrevealed sketches are multiple concepts for The Dresden Files series, where dos Santos has painted the character Harry Dresden numerous times across various projects. The three unused options demonstrate his range of approaches: one romantic interpretation showing Harry as a handsome leading man saving a damsel in distress, another featuring him summoning his protective force field in a dynamic street scene complete with his signature car, and a third cinematic concept capturing the violent energy of fireballs ricocheting off Harry's magical shield.
Dos Santos' educational background combines formal training with continuous self-improvement. He attended a four-year art school focusing intensively on illustration, traditional principles, and painting techniques, but emphasizes that artistic learning never truly 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," he reflects.
The artist's workflow is notably front-loaded with conceptual work, often spending half his available time on sketching regardless of whether he has a day or a month for a project. This approach, while atypical among illustrators, serves multiple purposes. "I'll often find that when an image develops past the sketching phase and closer into final, new problems start to arise that often spoil the piece for me," dos Santos explains. "I want to make sure I figure out that fatal flaw before I offer it as an option to a client."
His sketching process extends far beyond simple compositional studies. Dos Santos develops his concepts to an incredibly high level of finish, usually in full color, which he acknowledges wastes considerable time initially but pays dividends later. "Once a sketch is approved, the final goes extremely quickly due to all of the pre-planning, and I easily make my time back," he states.
The artist's approach to developing fantastical creatures and characters benefits from his refined sketching process. By working out all details in the conceptual phase, he can focus his attention on the elements that will actually appear in the final artwork rather than spending time on components that won't be visible. This efficiency allows him to tackle ambitious projects like his recent Marvel Masterpieces trading card set, which required 140 oil paintings completed in under two years.
When discussing his most challenging and rewarding project, dos Santos points to the Marvel Masterpieces series as his proudest career moment. "I did 140 oil paintings in under two years. In the end that all worked out to be a full painting every three days – absolutely non-stop. That's just an insane amount, but I still managed to pull it off," he recalls. Despite the intense constraints, he remains satisfied with the quality of work produced under such demanding conditions.
For aspiring artists, dos Santos offers wisdom passed down from his own teachers: "Beneath every good painting is a great drawing." This philosophy underlies his entire approach to commercial illustration, where the strength of the initial concept and execution determines the success of the final piece. His unrevealed sketches serve as testament to the hidden creative work that supports every published cover, representing countless hours of exploration and refinement that readers never see but that form the foundation of compelling visual storytelling.
