This sketch was a Christmas gift for my father-in-law, who is in the process of writing a sci-fi trilogy inspired by Ecclesiastes. The protagonist, Solomon Gruen, is an aging savant whose technological innovations in interstellar travel have attracted the attention of an array of unscrupulous businessmen, politicians, and terrorists. Solomon’s faith is one of his defining traits, so I wanted to depict him in a somewhat beatific pose as he considers the night sky, his characteristically crooked finger raised in what could be an act of either mathematical calculation or blessing. I hope to revisit the image with more detail and color someday.