The client asked for a ”1930’s ‘hand-painted’ poster-look”.  No reference of Wayne from that period and angle could be found.  After several sketches the client approved a reference photo of John Wayne from THE SEARCHERS, Wayne was 10 years older than TALL IN THE SADDLE.  Everything in shadow was black. Using VHS tape frame-grabs, I reconstructed Wayne’s face, especially in shadow, largely from imagination.

Universal’s V.P. of marketing told me I was the only illustrator he’d met who could take a actor’s photo and turn their head any direction and maintain a likeness. Perhaps I inherited 3D reasoning from my mathematician father.