A Reclamation of Truth
- Preston Cram
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
I created Sovereignty in the summer of 2025 as part of a series of six small drawings on 5.5" x 8.5" paper. It was made immediately after Rite of the Final Passage, and in hindsight, it clearly marks the next chapter of that sequence – both artistically and personally.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was changing. I only knew that something old no longer stood, and something new was beginning to take root in its place. Sovereignty sits right at that threshold: a moment where a truth has been recognized internally, even if its full shape hasn’t come into view.
As with most of my work, I didn’t plan the imagery or symbolism in advance. The drawing emerged directly from my experience of the moment, and I followed it line by line, trusting the feeling rather than trying to explain it while I was making it.
The Creative Process
Over the course of the six small drawings made that summer, my creative approach moved toward a more detailed, crosshatch-heavy style. I’ve written before about how my tools and process evolved during that time (you can read more about it here), but briefly: I began working with a .03 mm mechanical pencil, and I also inked this piece digitally on an iPad – a new experience for me at the time.
I embraced these changes because they gave me greater versatility and helped me arrive at the strongest version of the work I was capable of in that moment.
In particular, the new flexibility I had with the iPad allowed this art to evolve significantly during the inking stage. Below is the scan of the original pencil drawing.
Notable changes during the inking process:
The figures' proportions became more human and feminine as I adjusted head size, neck length, and overall body structure.
The cathedral at the bottom of the image was rebuilt entirely, incorporating a new understanding of linear perspective that emerged after the initial pencil stage.
A custom border was designed digitally in Photoshop after the drawing was scanned.
For comparison, here is the finished ink drawing.
A few details from the art:
Of the six drawings from that summer, Sovereignty was the final piece I completed before moving back into larger-scale work. As a result, it remains a clear marker of transition – both in my creative process, and in my life.
I’ll share more thoughts on the symbolism of this image, along with the finished color art, in a future update.
Thanks for spending some time with this piece.
I post process videos, sketches, and behind-the-scenes work as new pieces take shape. If you'd like to see the next stages of this world as it's built, you can find me here:
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