SPN J2 Big Bang 2025 - Second Chances - Artpost
Cover Second Chances
Banner Second Chances
A Jensen Jared photo from happy days
Veterinarian Jared Padalecki
Editor Jensen Ackles
Photo: Happy couple - Jensen and Jared
Photo: Separation - Jensen and Jared
Photo: Reconciliation - Jensen and Jared
Baby Aaron
Photo: Baby Aaron
This time it was different. No ideas in advance. I just really wanted to read this story because the summary promised a great read. Fortunately, I was able to claim it. After reading it, I was totally thrilled. My muse now had so many ideas. It was about separation, pregnancy and a happy reunion. In the end, I wanted the cover to reflect the theme of separation. A torn photo of a once happy couple says it all. The relationship is over, they are going their separate ways. So I created three images: a happy couple, a separated couple and a reunited couple. Pregnancy and parenthood are symbolized by the pacifier and pacifier chain. And the highlight of the reunion is a baby together with Jensen's green eyes and Jared's birthmark and hair.
It's a feel-good story - funny, happy, light. So I chose the comic style for the artwork with warm cheerful colors. Of course, as always, everything was hand-drawn with Procreate. I love this program.
First I sketched out my ideas in order to visualize them. What should be on the cover? J2 with separation flash and baby? Torn photo, pacifier, baby drinking bottle, broken hearts? The cover shouldn't give too much away, but it should arouse the reader's interest. So I decided on the torn photo without hearts.
The first idea was a torn Polaroid photo with a thick white bottom border, which I wanted to use to name the author and artist. But then the main characters would be very small on the cover. So a “normal” photo with a white border would be better. The idea with the three photos also looked good on the paper. And a baby picture as a bonus.
So I needed a “photo” of Jensen and Jared smiling happily into the camera. They are both leaning their heads towards each other. Their hair and shoulders are touching. I started to draw, adjusting the proportions and scale. Suits were too stiff and formal. Shirts with an open neckline were more appropriate and casual.
Now I created the final artwork with sharp, clear contours in a realistic comic style. The most time-consuming part was again the hair. Whether short or long, it was a Sisyphean task. The snapshot was supposed to show a happy J2 couple in love. The photo should be radiant. So I tested bright, vibrant colors, pastel shades for the shirts and various azure blues for the sky. In the end, I colored the picture, adding color nuances and shading. Of course, Jensen's (nose bump, freckles) and Jared's (birthmark, brown hair) trademarks couldn't be missing.
Have you ever torn photos? They do not tear smoothly. The edge of the tear is uneven. On one half of the photo there is usually a white edge from the bottom layer of paper, on the other half there is only tiny damage. This is why the tear edge remains visible when the photos are glued back together. I designed the tear so that each J2 has a lock of the other's hair on their half of the photo. Each retains a piece of the former partner.
The three photos still needed a nice background. I imagined a table, sideboard or side table with a wood grain on which the photo would lie. So I tried to draw a wooden surface in comic style. First I designed the wood grain, then I colored it with different wood tones. Finally, I added light and shadow to create a little 3D effect to increase the depth. I also drew the background large enough so that I could use six different image sections for the photos as well as for the cover and banner.
Rainbow. The idea came to me spontaneously when I thought of bright, friendly colors. Rainbows can often be found in children's rooms. They have also been an important religious symbol for thousands of years. A rainbow is a symbol of hope, peace and diversity. In the mythologies of the world, it is the connection between earth and sky, people and gods. The rainbow flag also stands for the diversity of gays and lesbians all over the world. In the original eight-color version from 1978, pink stands for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, blue for harmony and purple for the soul.
A rainbow “only” has seven colors. But as the story contains nine chapters, I added pink and light green. I chose pastel colors to match the plot and the “photo”. For the cover and the chapter headings, I found a humorous font that also goes well with the comic style. The story is about the desire to have a baby, pregnancy and the birth of a baby. All of this is symbolized by the pacifier.
Of course, a pacifier also needs a pacifier chain, which is ideal as a divider. I colored the individual pacifier chains to match the chapter headings. Once in shades of a single color and once in rainbow colors.
To top it all off, I drew a picture of baby Aaron. He has inherited Jensen's green eyes and freckles and Jared's birthmark and brown hair.
Babies are rarely born with freckles. They only form over time when the skin comes into contact with UV radiation. This is why the cute spots are usually found in the middle of the face and on the shoulders and forearms in the first few years of life. Baby Aaron is the exception to the rule and was born with freckles, especially on his face. A little artistic license because it fits in well with the story.
I also picked up on the rainbow theme again for this picture. The stars on the baby blanket are drawn in the same nine colors as the chapter headings. The sky with the white clouds in the window is also similar to the background in the J2 photo. So everything fits together nicely and I have achieved my goal of creating a uniform art set.
I hope you enjoyed my art post. I would be delighted to receive feedback.
