Oil on Canvas – Book Cover for An Accounting (2011)
Artist, Designer: John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
Client: Alachua Press
26"X40" Oil paint on canvas
Painted 2021
This oil painting was created for the cover of Phillip Singer: An Accounting, a 2011 book by Jon Wiles published through Alachua Press. The project sits at the intersection of fine art portraiture and professional illustration, blending traditional hand-painted techniques with contemporary digital design.
The Subject and the Story
Based on actual criminal case files and prison records, the book tells the story of a deaf Jewish man from New York who traveled to Gainesville, Florida, where he killed his wife, the wife of the district attorney, and several others. After three decades in Florida’s infamous Raiford Prison, he was released and resumed his life. This morally complex and ambiguous subject demanded a cover image with gravity, tension, and psychological depth.
From a Single Blurry Reference to a Finished Portrait
Only one known photograph of Phillip Singer exists to my knowledge: a heavily degraded black-and-white image with little detail. That was the sole visual reference. Working in oil on canvas at 26 by 40 inches allowed room to develop form and presence. Rather than attempting a forensic reconstruction, the approach focused on capturing the subject’s intensity and unsettling demeanor. The dark, atmospheric background was a deliberate choice—amplifying psychological weight and directing attention entirely to the figure.
Fine Art and Commercial Illustration in Concert
This project is a clear example of how fine art painting and professional illustration can work together effectively. The portrait was created with traditional materials and studio-based techniques, but its purpose was explicitly commercial: to function as a book cover that attracts readers, signals genre and tone, and holds its own at small scale on a shelf or screen. After the painting was completed and photographed, the final cover was assembled digitally, with title typography and design elements added in Adobe Photoshop.
This hybrid workflow is central to how commissioned artwork is approached here: the sensibility and craft of fine art, applied to projects with specific communication goals. Whether working in oil, graphite, or vector illustration, the priorities remain conceptual clarity, emotional resonance, and technical precision. The boundary between “art” and “illustration” is often fluid—what matters is how effectively an image works in its intended context.
To view more examples of paintings, portraits, cover illustrations, and hybrid projects, please visit the Fine Art Portfolio and the Illustration Portfolio. For inquiries about custom book cover art, portrait commissions, or other collaborative projects, please visit the contact page.
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PORTFOLIOS
- Illustration Portfolio: Start here for custom illustration and book covers. You can also browse illustrated maps and architectural rendering.
- Fine Art: I offer original paintings and drawings, including my Custom Halftone Series. You will also find mural work here.
- Graphic Design & Motion: View my graphic design portfolio. After that, explore motion design and animated illustrations.
- Maps by application: I create illustrated maps for boat shows, resorts, marinas, real estate, transportation, transit and parking, towns and cities, parks, and wayfinding.
- Additional project types: I also produce cover illustration, vehicle and vinyl wraps, proposal renderings, and street art.
- Illustration methods: My techniques include vector, isometric and axonometric, painting, black and white, GeoData maps, overhead maps, and custom halftones.
- Software portfolios: I work primarily in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, SketchUp Pro, and Adobe InDesign. For motion projects, I use Premiere Pro and After Effects. You can watch my demo reel here.