Alex Nabaum

Digital Agreements (with no roughs) Wall St. Journal

2012-02-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Never had a job like this one before. It was on how we so easily agree to online legal forms (itunes etc. etc. ) without even realizing the harsh consequences contained in the legalese.

But that's not the real story.

This is.

Apparently the writer had dropped a story on the art director at the last minute. Since I was super busy at the time AD David Bamundo at the Wall Street Journal told me to just send him a final, no roughs, no art direction, no nothing! And I had never even worked with him before!

Whoa, that's trust.

I think if I had less experience I might have thought "Sweet!"
But it sunk in pretty quick I was going to have to do both jobs, illustrate AND art direct.

Of course I always edit and art direct myself as I go along on every job, but in the end I always throw in some surprising ideas that may or may not work and hand it off to the art director to make the final decision.

And making good decisions is work, no doubt about it!

So thanks for nothing Dave.... just kidding, I learned a bunch.

Christoph Niemann says you've got to stay in touch with you inner-art director, so you don't waste everybody's time. So actually, thanks Dave! For letting me turn "my inner art director" to "outer" on this one.

I'm just glad I don't have to do it all the time.

Organ Traffickers

2012-01-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

This one for a weighty story on international organized crime's move into the trafficking of organs, mostly kidneys. In Bloomberg Markets magazine.

I was excited to get this one, I knew it would have potential so I went a little nuts concepting.

The main victims and criminals in the story were Ukrainian.

Here's the spread, I decided to visually relate the kidney tubes to his gold chain and wallet at the last minute.

Racial Definitions in America

2012-01-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Got to do a illustration for a dual book review by Gwen Ifill for the Washington Post.

Here's an excerpt:

Decades later, Americans are still struggling with racial definitions. Is the president black or biracial? Are we Latino or Hispanic? Is the n-word an insult or an affectionate term? What does it mean to be authentically black? And does any of that
matter anymore? Didn't the 2008 election signal that the country that elected its first black president is now post-racial?

sketch and color study

Two new books take radically different approaches to these questions of race introspection - one academic, the other anecdotal. Both are mature and serious works that seek to get us past our laziest assumptions about race. Each managed to expand my notion of what it means to be black in America, and why it matters.

Art direction by Kristin Lenz.

Hollow Recovery

2012-01-10T11:44:00.001-07:00

For Bloomberg Markets on America's hollow recovery. For some reason I love drawing pie, and I finally got a pie idea that could hold a full page. Thanks Tjia!

The article was long so it talked about alot of things from hollow recovery to lengthy slow growth to mixed signals of weakness and strengths, so I had to cover alot of possibilities. Luckily everyone was in the mood for pie though!

Bullish on Coal

2012-01-05T10:27:00.002-07:00

Full page for Bloomberg Markets on the IPO winners and losers of 2011.
Apparently an Indian coal producer came out on top. So used to having to make carbon look bad, it was a fun challenge to reverse it.

Actually all I had to work with at the start from the mag was, "old energy beats new energy", hence the wide range of roughs.

Challenge was to get the bull head to read as dump truck simultaneously.
Siung suggested adding a little steam from the nostrils which helped.

So long Kim Jong for NYTimes

2011-12-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Was salivating at this job when Matt Dorfman called me to do something on the future of Korea with the death of Kim Jong, because I love doing conceptual portraits.

The article had a lot to do with China's response and how it wants to keep Korea divided, so I had to cover that angle, but I was hoping I could get away with something a bit more timeless on the just the future of Korea.

Luckily Matt agreed AND was willing and able to go to bat for this idea. And he gave me an extra hour to do it, so from initial call to delivery was about 5 hours...

Ecology of Conflict

2011-12-16T16:56:00.003-07:00

This was for an article for California Magazine on the interesting fact due to the Somali pirates, tuna, marlin and wahoo populations have soared in that part of the Indian Ocean. Since I'm very interested in military history and the environment, this was an rare intersection of my interests to say the least.

The article included other conflicts, so I had to cover my bases, but of course I was hoping for the Pirates.

Had to do quite a few color studies to come up with something simple that would unite the skull, RPG and marlin and still seem somewhat natural to what they are.

Happy thanksgiving

2011-11-25T15:16:00.001-07:00

This was for the Zellerbach paper company calendar. I got november.

Doctors Without Borders

2011-09-30T08:53:00.001-06:00

Doctor's Without Borders is holding a benefit auction in Ferrara Italy tomorrow.
I was invited to create a piece to be auctioned off.
The theme had to somehow include one of their missions and yet feel hopeful.
Curated by Emiliano Ponzi

"Phoenix" is the title, printed on canvas.

The New Republic

2011-09-23T09:14:00.000-06:00

Did this piece for the Joe Heroun and Christine Car at the New Republic for an article on the fate of American Industry and how to revitalize it.

So in the roughs I explored both the problem and the solution.

Fantasy Fiction Writing

2011-09-15T11:33:00.000-06:00

I actually don't read much fiction, let alone fantasy fiction. But I do enjoy a visually rich subject like that. So I was excited to get a call from Kim Vu at the Washington Post.

The trick was how to show fantasy without being to specific tied to vampires, harry potter etc etc etc.
So we went with the eye.

Here's the piece without the type.

Yoga Journal

2011-09-08T10:47:00.002-06:00

I've done a few images for Yoga Journal over the years, but about a year ago I really started getting into yoga more, so it was a real treat to get a call from Ian Goldberg there.

This piece was for a review of the book "Four Desires". The main point of the review seemed to be listening to your soul in order to figure out your higher purpose. But just in case I mixed in some roughs that could go with the "Four Desires" title. Luckily Ian saw the potential in the star to pearls sketch.

I probably did more than enough roughs, but when I get a spiritual story like this or something I'm really interested in, I can't stop concepting.

Here's the piece in print. Thanks Cathryn for sending it. I love when the AD's email me a quick screen shot or pdf of their design, because it means I'm going to blog about it!

Hemispheres

2011-06-30T15:33:00.003-06:00

Here's a full page for Hemispheres Magazine the inflight magazine of United and Continental.
The article was about a researcher who was able to increase healthier choices in school cafeterias by a few very inexpensive presentation tweaks. Art directed by Christine Bower-Wright.

And a few of my ideas...

Gold in 3x3 Professional Show No. 8

2011-06-17T14:49:00.007-06:00

Found out my "Memphis to Boston" piece won Gold in editorial in the latest 3x3 Professional Show

This piece has also won Silver in the Society of News Design and 2nd place in the AltPick Awards.
Which made me feel good, especially since I had done 28 color studies, and probably a half dozen compositions for that piece!

I also received a distinguished merit award for "Evolution of China"

Which also made me feel good, because I painted it completely once, wasn't happy and trashed it, and started over on it. Which at the time bummed me out, because that was alot of hand painted hairs to throw away.

And a merit award for "Dodger's Divorce"

http://blog.3x3mag.com/2011/06/3x3-professional-show-no-8-winners.html

Creator or Copycat of a Copycat

2011-06-13T10:33:00.021-06:00

Got a call from ESPN the magazine, not to spoof Roy Lichenstein of course, but to illustrate the Seattle Mariners rebuilding their baseball team and possibly trading their star players Felix Hernandez and Ichiro Suzuki. The editors suggested a garage sale scene or the player's sitting on a pile of dynamite, which I explored.

But after doodling the Mariner's logo over and over, I saw that I could turn it into an explosion, to go with the expression "blow up the team".

And the explosion I was drawing kept reminding me of my favorite Roy Lichenstein painting "Explosion" 1965.

Of course I could have easily drawn my own explosion, but I thought how fun would it be to spoof the Lichenstein, and maybe, just maybe, some readers would enjoy the spoof as well.
I knew the art directors would, and Oliver Yoo who art directed this, went for it, thanks Oliver!

I love spoofing famous artworks, just for the fact alone to closely study their compositions.

Of course I didn't want to hide this fact, so I wrote "Apologies to Lichenstein" along the bottom of my illustration, like Bob Staake wrote "After Escher" on his brilliant New Yorker Cover last July.

Later while researching the painting, I stumbled across this website "Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein" put together by art historian, David Barsalou who has spent 25 years (looking through 30,000 comic books!) to find examples like these:

Which made me realize that I should have actually written "Apologies to some unknown '60s comic artist, because unfortunately, the original source of "Explosion" I spoofed wasn't on his site. Perhaps Mr. Barsalou needs to look through a few more comic books ; )

Of course everybody knows Lichenstein was inspired by the comics but I had never realized how directly he drew from them, including the text. I figured he had and but never really thought too much about it, because I got what he going for. But after seeing these maybe he should've have written "Apologies to Tony Abruzzo, John Romita, Jim Pike etc etc." under his paintings....

Here's "my" piece in print. My little acknowledgement at the bottom ended up being removed by the magazine, as unnecessary or distracting, which is probably correct....but it was necessary for me! It made me feel better.

And the Boston Globe article of which I spoofed their headline:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/10/18/lichtenstein_creator_or_copycat/

http://davidbarsalou.homestead.com/LICHTENSTEINPROJECT.html

AI30 Selected

2011-06-07T12:59:00.003-06:00

Just found out this piece I did for Ed Mann and Siung Tjia at ESPN got into American Illustration 30.

Thrilled because I mis-read the entry deadline and didn't enter anything, so I'm so glad the art directors at ESPN did, thanks Ed and Siung!

Which is cool, because they included the whole spread with the typography which isn't typical of AI.

http://www.ai-ap.com/slideshow/AI/30/?status=selected#174

Cover for Emory

2011-05-23T09:01:00.007-06:00

How to illustrate 'Ethics' ?
That was the challenge Emory magazine Art Director Erica Allison Endicott gave me.

The issue was about how Emory taught ethics and character.

Inside she needed a full page for more specific story on Web ethics.

Erica took my roughs to the committee. The very word "committee" struck fear into my heart.
But when she returned with this idea approved, I knew she could have a second career as an corporate negotiator if she wanted.

Any art director that can take sketches on such an abstract subject as ethics into a committee meeting and emerge with an idea not being completely destroyed or 'frankensteined' could work at Camp David in my opinion.

And here's the instead spread in with my color sketch, last I saw of it.

The web story mentioned, among other things, how people can behave differently online.

Double Page Spread for APlus

2011-05-11T13:16:00.014-06:00

This was for a Chinese magazine APlus about whether property tax will put a dent into soaring real estate prices in China and create an opportunity for homebuyers.

Raymond Ho, the art director on this, liked the bicycle one, but it needed more exploration.

Trying out some possible layouts and developing the idea a bit more.

Raymond sent me this layout to look at when I painted the final which was helpful.

A bit of detail from the center.

China's Split Personality for TIME

2011-03-28T08:10:00.007-06:00

Story was about how dealing with China, diplomats never know which China they are dealing with, the business side or the military side.
Art directed by Emily Crawford.
Some roughs, one of my favorites was the panda. I had to throw some quick photo color into to see if it would work.
But we went with the dragon which was fine.

Here's a color sketch Emily put on the page and showed me, which was very helpful, because it made me realize it was a bit too symmetrical.

So I added some arms and body, which seemed to do the trick.
The illustration ended up running only in the international edition, which I don't subscribe to so I'll post the finished layout when I get a copy.

ESPN cover process

2011-02-25T14:16:00.017-07:00

After a super busy 3 months (where were you last october?) I finally took off a whole day off to go skiing last week and nearly missed a call from ESPN to take a shot at their Fiction Issue cover. I say "take a shot", because they commission 6 artists/photographers for their covers. Which I like, since there's less pressure knowing if you air-ball your shot, there's 5 other balls in the air and somebody is going to make it.

I had tried before about a year ago and didn't make it. Honestly I didn't think I had much of a chance because their covers by nature are rarely illustrated and when they are, it's vector or 3D. But since this cover was so conceptual and needed a different feel, I felt my chances were better.
When I first heard the subject "Sports Fiction" I thought what in the heck am I going to do for this! Seemed impossible, cause it's not about a specific sport, has to be general, and general is pretty hard to illustrate. But I came up with few ideas I felt could work.

Apparently one of the other artists was Edel, who I'm sure won't mind me posting his piece, since the dang thing is funnier and more memorable than mine! I'm guessing the only reason it didn't get picked was maybe the editors thought the mag's demographic (18-30 year old males, sorry guys), wouldn't identify Shakespeare or maybe only associate him with plays. That's my guess anyway. I wish I would have thought of drawing famous writers.... maybe something with Mark Twain's likeness..... hmmm next time.

But this is another example of why illustration rocks, the solutions are so original and varied.

Anyway Siung Tjia, who art directed this, thought the stadium vendor guy was worth going to finish on, and he came up with the brilliant idea of putting the cover lines on the books.Only tricky part was he wanted me to do the type! I knew he was right and it would look better that way, but man! Me doing typography for some of the BEST typographers in the business,
freaked me out! I appreciate great typography, in fact I've actually commissioned multiple art directors to do custom type for the 10 or so random splash pages on my website, but I never really studied the art myself.
And I didn't have much time, so I just stayed up hand lettering it over and over until I got something tolerable.

This is issue is chock full of illustrations by Jeffery Smith, Heads of State, Eddie Guy, Andy Rementer, Mike Bertino, Matt Owens and Shonagh Ray.

Evolution of China

2010-12-13T11:57:00.003-07:00

Here's a experimental piece I just did.
I've had the idea for awhile and hoped to use it for an article but the right fit never came up, so I decided just to paint it.

Here's some of the studies.

Fight Pollution

2010-11-30T08:15:00.006-07:00

Here's a piece I really enjoyed doing for Nick Jehlen at the Progressive.
It was about how powerful the fossil fuel industries are and how it would take a grassroots effort to fight their influence. The article was specifically focused on the aftermath of the BP oil spill and the government, so I covered that in my roughs that I submitted, by I always like to include ideas that have a universal appeal to them, and Nick often seems to pick those.

Of course it would need a much better composition.

Getting the white clouds to work together and read separately at the same time took a couple of failed attempts. Getting closer here.

Work selected for American Illustration 29 book now out

2010-11-18T10:43:00.003-07:00

2 pieces of mine are in the American Illustration 29 book, just out last week.

If you didn't get one at the party go here to order:
https://www.ai-ap.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=BookOrderForm

WIRED etc.

2010-11-15T10:00:00.007-07:00

Here's my first piece done specifically for the iPad.
Art director was Rina Kushnir at WIRED.
It was about de-mystifying the writing of software code.

And along the tech theme, was this piece for the Washington Post Book Review of the new book "What Technology Wants" also by a WIRED editor comparing the evolution of technology to biological evolution.

Some of the roughs I sent. There were more, but these were my favorites.
And the layout, just sent to me by the wonderful Carrie Lyle, who smartly art directed this piece.

Memphis to Boston

2010-10-18T07:49:00.007-06:00

This was for the Boston Globe Magazine about a woman, who when a girl moves from Memphis to Boston for a scholarship. She ends up staying for career and marriage, but never quite feels at home in the North.

She ponders this, from the article -

"Now, though, I wonder. The prompt is Isabel Wilkerson’s magnificent new
book, “The Warmth Of Other Suns,” a dense and moving exploration of the
Great Migration. Wilkerson chronicles both the highs and lows of that
fifty-year, nation-altering event but mainly suggests it was ultimately for
the good. Was it?"

For some reason I really responded to this piece. Perhaps because Jacob Lawrence, the great artist of the great migration, was one of my favorite artists as a high schooler. Or perhaps because I have never really felt at home no matter where I live.

One thing I do know is, I wish I didn't have to do so many color studies to be happy!

Update March 2011: This piece just won a Silver at the Society of News Design.
Thanks for submitting it Grant!

Curse/Bless Photoshop

2010-10-13T09:21:00.010-06:00

On friday I did a quick piece for the NY Times Week in Review, on the tricky relationship between the U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Taliban. At the last minute it needed a quick color change because of a color clash with something else on the cover. It happens and it's totally unforeseen and because of Photoshop this is so easy and routine I don't even think about it anymore, in a few minutes it was done. Bless Photoshop.

It reminded me I forgot to post this piece I did for Columbia a little bit ago.
The article was on over-population, mainly in Africa.

This was the rough they liked. Only direction was "make sure the nest looks like Africa"
Which I did and the editors were happy. Sent off, done and invoiced.

A week later, just hours before they go to press, the slightly stressed AD calls and says the editors just decided they want the nest NOT to look like Africa, they want it general.

I was pretty worried at first I would have to repaint the whole thing, since my work is mainly non-digital. (Of course they offered to pay for the repaint)

But in about 30min I had it done, all thanks to Photoshop.

Bless Photoshop.

Or was it because of Photoshop?
Since everyone is so used to being able to make such last minute changes, perhaps this allowance for more indecisiveness is sometimes a curse.

Curse Photoshop.

Recent Work and Coincidence

2010-09-27T15:08:00.009-06:00

Got busy and behind on my postings.
Here's some recent work and a coincidence....

Best Primary Schools in Denver, for 5280 Magazine.

Design and art direction by Dave McKenna.

For ESPN on NBA owners, Siung Tjia AD.

For Los Angeles Magazine, a beautiful mag I drooled over in Pasadena for ICON, so I was thrilled to get a call from them after I got back. Carol Wakano AD.

Fun subject for Washington Post Magazine on mini-skirts lengths. Lori Kelley AD.

For the Progressive on our oil economy and the gulf. Nick Jehlen AD.

At lastly I ran across this ad a few days ago, and thought it had an uncanny resemblance in composition and concept to an illustration of mine that was in the CA annual a few years ago. Probably just coincidence.

Runner's World

2010-08-18T15:25:00.006-06:00

Important lesson: If you use your spouse as a reference model, do not make her LOOK fat.
Especially for a magazine she and all her friends subscribe to.

The magazine was Runner's world which is an honor to work for because it's always chuck full with great illustration.

Subject was mental grief over injuries and how to recover faster. Marc Kauffman was the AD.

Rough ideas. Marc picked my favorite, but I knew the comp needed major consolidation.

Color studies, and now I start to get into trouble....

My wife posed for this, and she thinks I made her look fat. I totally disagree. She was convinced the magazine would make me repaint the figure thinner. Surprise honey, they didn't.

But I still can't convince her, and she may never pose for reference again. Perhaps you all could help.

Here's the main piece in print.
Lucky for me the other one is small on the turnpage.

ESPN the Magazine

2010-07-26T09:21:00.005-06:00

Got to illustrate the "Messiest Divorce in Sports", yeah even messier than Tiger's...
That of the owners of the LA Dodgers for ESPN the Magazine. Art director was Ed Mann.

A few days after I finished the piece, I got to see Dodger Stadium for the first time when I was in LA for ICON6.

Had fun with the roughs, I even gave them a typographic option. Why? I just couldn't help myself and got obsessed seeing if it would work. Fortunately Ed picked the more compact solution.

Whenever I'm lucky enough to do a spread for great designers, I'm so excited to see what they come up with after I turn in the artwork. I love being surprised and at ESPN they always deliver.

George Steinbrenner killed my NY Observer cover

2010-07-19T17:14:00.010-06:00

Well actually not him exactly... his death did.
Last week right when I was almost done with this conceptual portrait of notorious developer Shaya Boymelgreen, for the cover of the New York Observer, news came in of the Yankees owner's passing. Which was much bigger news. Actually, I've been in this business long enough to be totally used to things that happening.

Here's my tight color sketch in the mockup. And the cover that had to replace it.
Kudos to Kathryn Rathke for cranking out that portrait of George in probably less than an hour!

Here's my final art that did run inside for the same budget, thanks Nancy!
We didn't want to make fun of his features so the caricature aspect is toned down and Nancy wanted the buildings in his beard to be subtle, which was really nice to do that way.

July Progressive Cover

2010-07-13T12:14:00.008-06:00

Got to tackle the complicated issue of the Arizona immigration law for Nick Jehlen at the Progressive.

Some sketches...

Some reference....

Apologies to Georgia O'Keefe, I know you worked in New Mexico.

And this is why Nick Jehlen, is my favorite art director in the whole world!
Because he let me do this spoof of those kitschy southwest lizards, for the inside.

NY Times OpEd today

2010-06-30T10:54:00.005-06:00

For today's OpEd in the NY Times on talking to terrorists.
Writer argues that, engagement over time can change terrorist groups to be more mainstream like Nelson Mandela's ANC, which was once listed by the US as a terrorist organization.
Maybe... but the article's mentioned group's goals seem a bit more specific, achievable and platable than say Al-Qaeda's. But the writer does acknowledge this.

I finally got approved on this job late in the day and was worried, but Sen. Byrd's passing bumped it back and gave me a extra day for the finish.
Aviva on the other hand never sounds worried, how she does that with all those tight deadlines is beyond me.

First set of roughs, when I thought the article was mainly focused on talking to terrorists in order to understand them better in order to kill them.

Second set of roughs after I got the focus right.

Energy Biz Cover

2010-05-28T09:28:00.017-06:00

Got to do a fun job on one of my favorite subjects: green power.
I know it's a power hungry world and green power still seems like a fantasy, but here's to hope!

Art directed by Jürgen Mantzke who is also an illustrator. He had the interesting direction of trying to show the future by hinting at the past, which was fun to explore.

Here's a smaller piece I did for inside.

Some color studies, they preferred the dark blue, better for the loads of typography.

Ironically immediately after I finished this job we went on a kayak/raft trip down the San Juan river (4 corners area) and found this petroglyph. There is something cool about sticking your nose right up to 4,000 year old artwork and no alarm going off.

I considered putting this one in the SI:EARTH Fragile Planet show, but went with my original entry.

I'm actually going to fly out for the show, hope to see you there! You won't miss me... in order to neutralize the carbon impact from the jet fuel I'll burn, I'm going to wear a loincloth I weave en route out of opaque plastic shopping bags.

And after the show I'll recycle the loincloth it by giving it to my petroglyph friend above.

ai5000 "Mr. Responsible"

2010-05-22T07:37:00.006-06:00

Forgot to post this last month, finally got to work for the venerable SooJin Buzzelli!
It was a portrait of James Gifford for Asset International.

Basically this guy goes all around the world partly with the UN, showing that socially and environmentally sound investment practices pay better in the long term.

I've been doing more portraits lately, although it's not my specialty, I've draw thousands of portraits as caricature artist when I was a teenager, so that helps me not be so rusty at it.

On the page.

Killed Microsoft Campaign

2010-05-19T13:31:00.006-06:00

These were for posters and ads mainly to be used for a international Microsoft anti-piracy campaign, mainly in China and Russia. The ad agency thought my textures would appeal to that audience (basically potential chinese and russian illegal software purchasers) Don't know if I should be proud of that though.

Well apparently it didn't appeal to them, because it got killed in the end.

Or perhaps someone at Microsoft read Chris Anderson's book "Free: The Future of a Radical Price"
where he argues that piracy is free publicity and enough pirates eventually become customers to make it a net positive.

Here's a link to the book, but don't buy it, just snag a pirated version somewhere, I'm sure the author won't mind ; )

Some alternate compositions.

And the color options I sent them.

When a Newborn Can't Hear

2010-05-11T12:28:00.001-06:00

In today's NY Times Health Section, for a story on hearing loss in infants. AD was Peter Morance.

It ended up running in black and white, so I thought I'd give the color version some air.

I was lucky my favorite idea got picked, thanks Peter!

Here's the version that ran. Maybe it was better in B&W after all?

Epigenetics

2010-05-06T09:18:00.004-06:00

I love illustrating articles about food and exercise, so I was excited to take this job from Paul Gonzales for a Los Angeles Times Health Cover.

Story was on epigenetics, basically you can influence your DNA by diet and exercise.
I favored the woman tying her running shoes, but Paul had better vision and choose the jump roper, which turned out much better in the end, thanks Paul!

In the rough I had the typical overused skinny sports bra model, but I felt a more plump figure would be more look more interesting. And somehow from the tight sketch to the finish, she unintentionally turned out looking slightly like Oprah.

Millionaire Asia

2010-04-26T09:32:00.012-06:00

How to make a real estate story not boring? Well here's my shot at it.
For MillionaireAsia, art directed by Raymond Ho of Eight Custom Media in Hong Kong.
Story was about mainland Chinese snapping up flats in Hong Kong.

Here's the roughs I sent, I obviously was favoring with the top one, but Raymond preferred the bags as the opener which was fine, but I knew the composition would need work.

A color study and a prelim drawing.

Half page inside.

Spot.

Here it is in print on their web e-reader.

Working for Hong Kong clients brings back good memories for me. I lived in Guangzhou (just north of Hong Kong) for a few months teaching english in 1996. It wasn't my plan to leave my art studies and go to China and teach english, but I was dating this girl and she went. So I followed her to see if our relationship would work out. It did.

New Yorker Cover, fashion issue reject

2010-04-23T15:22:00.003-06:00

Here's my attempt at a New Yorker fashion issue cover.
Or actually spoofing fashion...
I know it's never going to see the light of day, so I thought I'd at least post it here.
It was fun to try for it though.

American Illustration 29 - Selected

2010-04-20T10:29:00.005-06:00

Found out last week I got two pieces into the American Illustration annual, which will available at their NY launch party in November.

Water Footprint vs. Carbon Footprint for Mother Jones, art direction by Carolyn Perot

And this one for John Hopkins' magazine on the ethics of bio-engineering lab animals that can't feel pain.
Art direction by Pamela Li.

Earth Hour follow up

2010-03-29T08:44:00.002-06:00

Well a record number of people turned off their lights off for Earth Hour on saturday, so bravo to everyone that remembered!
Here's my contribution to the project, a pair of pro and con postcards for the Leo Burnett agency.
Here's my favorite photo from saturday, the strip in Las Vegas, which I can really appreciate since I used to live there as a kid.

M.C. Escher—that's my favorite MC....

2010-03-23T07:57:00.018-06:00

"M.C. Escher—that's my favorite MC" Weird Al Yankovic "White & Nerdy"2006.

Well not really..., but lately I've come appreciate some of MC Escher's more graphic work, so I guess I'm guilty.

Two of my favorite Escher's.

About a year or so ago I used his technique of repetitive interlocking positive and negative space to solve a conceptual problem for Money magazine, and once you start something....

The top image is a full page for Billboard magazine. Art direction by Christine Bower. The subject was the steady decline of the music industry for a special decade wrap-up. The working headline was "Down, But Not Out".

Here's some of the roughs I sent, but the editors decided they really wanted arrows going up and down. Hmmm, how to save that?

Crossed my fingers and sent in this. They went for it, which was lucky for me because it took well over a dozen sketches of puzzling just to see if it would even work as a rough.

Preliminary drawing.

Detail, I wanted the good "up" times of the industry to feel golden, so I tried to make it feel like gold leaf.

Some other Escher riffs I've done in the past year or so. For Money, John Hopkins and TIME.

It's fun thing to try, but I don't see how Escher spent a lifetime doing it without going cross-eyed.

TIME magazine

2010-03-17T08:32:00.006-06:00

Here's two pieces I did for TIME magazine recently for Ramesh Ponnuru's column.

"Our high college drop-out rate—40% of kids who enroll in college don’t get a degree within
six years—may be a sign that we’re trying to push too many people who aren’t
suited for college to enroll."

"The tight connectionbetween college degrees and economic success may be a nearly unquestioned part of our social order. Future generations may look back and shudder at
the cruelty of it."

The Republican's get some lucky breaks, but the return road to power won't be easy.

Getting Hitched Without a Hitch

2010-03-10T08:05:00.012-07:00

For an article about how to deal with the roller coaster of emotions that come with a wedding. For LDS Living magazine art directed by Kelly Nield at Stephen Hales Creative.

I was thinking about how a bride imagines a fairy tale wedding, but in reality the mothers could be fighting etc. etc. Then I remembered in the Cinderella Disney movie how the birds hold up her veil when she runs out of the church and thought wouldn't it be funny if the birds were fighting with each other.

Kelly liked that direction, so I worked up some spots to go with the bird theme.

I decided the birds needed to show a wider variety of emotions. I looked at pictures of Jessica Alba when drawing the bride.

One of my favorite things about illustrating is seeing the beautiful typography right next to my piece that ties it all together so well. I love how Kelly's design echoes the curving linework of the artwork, brilliant!

Here's a detail of one of the quarter page illustrations.

And all of them in the layout. Thanks Kelly!

Green Iran Poster

2010-03-03T11:46:00.006-07:00

Here's my contribution to the Green Movement in Iran.
Alot of artists from around the world were invited to design a poster for the cause.
Here's all the posters

http://sdz.aiap.it/gallerie/11538#top

Mine is at the bottom. Since I was late in creating my poster and had watched the situation progress, I thought a different poster about turning up the "volume" might add something.

Here's some of the many color studies I did. I wanted to do a persian version, but I couldn't seem get the typography right.

YALE Cover

2010-02-25T10:49:00.011-07:00

Yale is developing an artificial pancreas, which if you have diabetes would be quite a breakthrough.

The idea was to illustrate the concept of what a pancreas does, basically regulate sugar and insulin levels.

When I got this job I thought what am I going to do! It seemed impossible at first, a pancreas looks like lump of orange-brown bacon, sugar is colorless, boring and looks like salt and insulin is worse! Plus the the whole concept of diabetes regulation had to be worked in.

So after I visited with the muse Panickia, I got to work and calmed down.

The roughs ideas... it took a few.

Here's a preliminary drawing. I like posting these because my final technique often results in a loss rather than a gain in accuracy, which is better sometimes but not others!

Inside full page and some spots.

Some detail.

In print.

ESPN Cover attempt

2010-02-24T08:54:00.006-07:00

Got to try for a ESPN cover back in January, finally got a hold of a print edition.
Subject was "New Rules for the New Year", it was about changing 48 rules in sports to make it better for the fans.

I didn't get it and I didn't deserve too! Below is why.

Look at this brilliant idea from Jason Lee. Why didn't I think of that!
Perfect and so simple, which is the hardest.

At least I got inside though, with the other 4 artists.
I was honored to have been in the running with Rodrigo Corral, since he is such an amazing book designer, his cover (above mine) is my second favorite.

Just for fun, here's some of the ideas (there were more) I sent in.

Thanks to Ed Mann for even considering me for the cover.

Today's NYTimes Op Ed

2010-02-18T13:09:00.006-07:00

For today's Op Ed piece on the cons of limiting US air power in Afghanistan.
Really enjoyed painting this piece, it took me back to my glue sniffing enhanced childhood "hobby" of building model airplanes. Too bad I blew them all up, I could have use them for reference.
Art director was Aviva Michaelov, of course.

Some rough ideas. I actually had more that 45min for this one which was nice! Aviva picked my favorite, which was ironically the first idea I came up, which is rarely the case.

Preliminary drawing.

ESPN Twitter

2010-02-17T12:40:00.004-07:00

Got to do a fun full page for ESPN poking fun at jocks on twitter.
Thanks Lou and Siung!

A smaller quarter page illustration inside.

A bunch of roughs, request to make the football player Shaq,
which worried me a bit because portraiture isn't my specialty.

Preliminary drawing.

In print, sorry bad iPhone photos.

Calliope's Nest

2010-01-30T17:13:00.007-07:00

This piece of mine ran in the NY Times last week. I thought I'd better write about it a bit, because I'm getting an uncommon amount of requests for prints.

It was about reading being such a private and personal pursuit. The idea came from my childhood. I would occasionally climb up a russian olive tree in my yard to read when I didn't want to be bothered.

Giclee prints are available on 10x8 somerset velvet. Image size is about 9x6.
$45 signed, $35 unsigned, includes shipping. Paypal me at: alex@alexnabaum.com
Or email me for my address if you prefer to mail a check.

NY TIme Op Ed today

2010-01-26T09:38:00.004-07:00

For today's NY Times OpEd.
Aviva calmly called me yesterday around 5pm with a 2hr deadline.
Plenty of time...last oped rush job I got a total of 45minutes.

The article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/opinion/26baran.html

Everyone's a Reality TV Star

2010-01-25T12:02:00.002-07:00

Seems like anybody can have a reality tv show now. This was an 11 by 19 inch illustration for the Los Angeles Times. Really glad I bought an oversize scanner awhile back.

The story was about the both the endless variety and the mundaness, so I had to cover both in the roughs. I'm so glad Judy Pryor ,the smart AD on this one, went with the hair roller cameras.

Here's the how the it looked as the section cover.

A Post-Holiday Post

2010-01-11T10:02:00.004-07:00

Forget to post this one I did for Joey Santos at the LA Times over the holidays.
Feature was about holiday party manners considering swine flu and electronic invitations.

The roughs. Alas, the Purell wine bottle did not make the cut, but it was a bit weird, plus using a brand name and label, probably was good it didn't get picked.

One of the inside spots.

Notable Opinion Art of the Year: 2009

2010-01-09T12:38:00.003-07:00

I was pleased to see my Obama and Iran painting made it into the New York Times,
"Notable Opinion Art of the Year", which was a nice little surprise.
Check out all the other great artist's pieces:

NYT Notable Opinion Art of the Year

Circled is my piece, but my favorite is the Bruce McCall piece of the astronaut.

Creche Display

2009-12-22T15:58:00.003-07:00

I always liked the old new yorker cover with santa holding up a newborn baby and how it captured both Christmas and New Years.
So this year I decided to see if I could do a card that seamlessly combined both.

I thought it might make a nice New Yorker cover, since their end of year-two week issue usually falls on Christmas and New Years. Here's the mock up I pitched to them in late November.
I knew it was a long shot, but I was happy it even got considered.

Newsweek International

2009-12-12T23:57:00.005-07:00

This cover was for a Newsweek story about how about India has done a 180 when it comes to talking about carbon and climate change. I don't have the final cover design yet, but in the meantime here's the last typography I saw.
The roughs, the change that India is saying "Yes" now in carbon negotiations needed to be explored as well.

I did quite a few color studies for this one. Adolfo had the idea to push the orange to make it feel hotter/dirtier like global warming/pollution, but do it in abstract way. So in the final I ended up using some spray paint for the smog. I didn't dare risk overspraying the final painting, so I sprayed a similar sized board, scanned that and laid it in in photoshop.

Hospital Readmissions

2009-12-05T15:21:00.005-07:00

For New York Times article on medicare and doctors cyclical problem of readmitting patients to hospitals. Therese Shechter, the clever AD suggested among other things a hospital bracelet, which I liked as a symbol, but what to do with it?

Therese picked the infinite loopish one and introduced me to it's actual name: mobius strip.

And here's the line drawing that I choose not to use in the final, seemed to feel deeper and more interesting with just a hint of line.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T06:48:00.004-07:00

Here's the next in my series of greeting cards.
I'm going to do the entire year and then the whole years worth of cards will be offered for sale as a package.
If you want to get on the mailing list drop me a note of your address.

Assassination of Deputy Escalante

2009-11-03T09:33:00.007-07:00

For the cover for the LAWeekly, about a young police officer gunned down for retribution by the Mexican mafia. Art director was Darrick Rainey. Got to do some research on Mexican gang tattoos, which was interesting.

The roughs.

Some color studies. I decided the black mass of thugs help the deputy remain the main focal point.

Here's the cover (thanks Jeff), I thought Darrick did a great job on the typography.
I did all line work on this because Darrick requested it, instead of my embossing textures because of printing concerns, which was fine. I actually love just line work, it's relaxing.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-14T10:00:00.004-06:00

Kids are so hard to scare these days, so I had to go a different route.

Confederate Flag

2009-10-07T09:08:00.014-06:00

I actually don't have strong feelings towards the Confederate flag, having grown up in and lived mostly in mountain west, but it occasionally it pops up on a truck around here driven by someone I know isn't from the South, which I find odd.

So when I saw one the other day, it got me thinking... I've seen the American flag get visually chastised for it's sins real and imagined a million times (by me included), but never the confederate flag.

So I figured it was due for a trip to the woodshed, albeit a hundred years late.

Orphans

2009-10-05T08:23:00.003-06:00

For Suffolk Law School on creating more permanent family solutions for orphans, like adoption.
Art director was Kaajal Asher.
The roughs ideas.

Tighter sketch and color studies.

New York Times OpEd

2009-10-03T07:43:00.005-06:00

Did the OpEd for the New York Times yesterday, on Obama on Iran and how his policy is in a free-fall. Art direction by Kim Bost.

Along with the usual ideas, I was thinking of Obama dropping the ball as a visual, but the problem is he's actually really good a sports. Then I remembered him throwing some gutterballs trying to bowl on the campaign trail last year and bingo something a bit more fresh.

Luckily the editors picked up on it as well and choose that one.

Regifting revisited

2009-09-23T13:16:00.007-06:00

Ok I love it when I come across a great illustrator who has illustrated the exact same obscure subject as me. I love to see their thinking, since we had to chew on the same material.

I was a bit reluctant to post this, because my piece is about 6 years old and it shows!
But I couldn't resist.

Here is Daniel Hertzberg's version.
The variety is better, and his color is infinitely better!

And here are my roughs, sent to Josue Evilla at the Boston Globe back in 2004.

Progressive cover

2009-09-15T08:12:00.005-06:00

For an article by Wendell Berry on returning the economy to long term sustainability. Painted with alot of extra bleed to give Nick plenty of flexibility in designing the cover. Ironically this figure has a very similar pose to last month's cover by Zina Saunders of former Gov. Palin, which well illustrated, in part, unsustainability.

The roughs. I really enjoyed concepting for this subject, it's dear to my heart. I try to live conservation minded as much I can, but I do live with a beautiful but normal north american wife and kids, so sometimes it's a balancing act not to become the "green nazi" of the house.

Preliminary drawing and color sketch.

Some details of the painting.

Piece that ran inside.

In print.

Green Scams

2009-09-09T09:25:00.008-06:00

It's been interesting watching the, so called, environmental movement grow.
It must be gaining some adherents, because it's attracting some scam artists preying on people's green goodwill. This was an AARP Bulletin article about green scams. Art directed by the wonderful Cathy Kelley, whom I've had to the pleasure to work with for years.

The roughs, I was secretly hoping for the snake or the arrow thief.

The piece actually had to run silhouetted, but I liked the more ominous feel to the black background which I added later.

Patriot lovers and (haters)

2009-09-04T12:33:00.009-06:00

I was surprised to get another job from ESPN, since the paint on the last piece for them was barely dry. The story was examining the lack of success in Bill Belichick's coaching tree. Art direction and design by Siung Tjia.

The roughs. Their favorites were the logo spoof and the hoodie. Siung opted for the logo spoof, which was my secret favorite as well.

Some reference ESPN sent me. I'm always amazed with doing portraits, because if I don't exaggerate the features a bit it, it doesn't look like them, and ESPN was keen on a likeness, so I was a bit nervous.

Line drawing and color study. I ended up changing to more blue to make your eye go to the branches first rather the Belichick's head, because that was more focus of the story.

Some detail.

In print. Should be on the newstands sometime this Labor Day weekend.

2010 Calendar

2009-08-21T10:26:00.013-06:00

This will be for The Progressive's 2010 calendar, for the month of April.
It will be printed in 2 colors blue and black.

The event: April 8th, 1966 Last poll tax outlawed in US.

If you are unfamiliar with the poll tax, as I was, it was a fee to pay at the voting booth or to register to vote, basically a way to keep poor blacks from voting in the South.
I was a bit worried taking the assignment, just because the physical act of voting is so un-dynamic whereas the struggle to get there was so dynamic.

A few years ago I had done some roughs on voting in Iraq for TIME, for Edel actually when he was there, on democracy spreading in the middle east. So I think this idea of the river curtain must have come from this unused rough.

For roughs, this was all I sent the AD Nick Jehlen, a tight skethc and color study. I've never done that before, but I really liked it and wanted to see if Nick would go for it. He did.

For some reason I was thinking about John Hendrix's "John Brown" book when I was drawing these little KKK hoods, maybe his really cool use of scale I don't know.

Young Conservatives

2009-07-22T12:03:00.006-06:00

Intellectually exhausted (see republican campaign in 2008), conservatives need some new thinking, and some young conservative thinkers are emerging, like W. Bradford Wilcox, Luigi Zingales, Megan McArdle and Reihan Salam. For the Boston Globe, art direction by Greg Klee.

Here's the roughs, Greg went for my favorite, my second was the elephant skull.

Ironically for a story about the need for some new original thinking, I spoof an 100 year old Rodin.

ESPN

2009-07-21T10:05:00.004-06:00

How would it feel to be traded for 10 bats? A bit humiliated? So did the late John Odom. This was for a tragic baseball story for ESPN the Magazine which gave me the sweet chance to do a conceptual portrait, something I really enjoy but rarely get to do.

When I was 15, I got a job drawing caricatures at "Casa Bonita" a tourist trap/restaurant in Denver, Colorado, which I did there and all over the West at fairs, festivals and rodeos through my college years. So in a way doing portraits takes me full circle to my first paying work.

Half way through concepting they told me the headline would be "punchline", so I made sure to cover that base as well.

Art direction by Tjia Siung

Tight sketch and color study. Having the sketch in layers was helpful to be able to move the bats around.
I think the designers at ESPN have an incredible handle on typography. Beautiful design by Siung Tjia.
Here's a quick summary of the story:

John Odom was good enough to be drafted by the San Francisco Giants out of community college and play three seasons in their minor league system. But when he was traded in 2008 from the Calgary Vipers to the Laredo Broncos for ten maple bats he became a punchline. A punchline he apparently could not live with being. Five months after the trade he was found to have overdosed on heroin and barbiturates.

Cheaper Solar Power

2009-07-03T10:13:00.004-06:00

Although solar power is expensive it's getting cheaper, for LA Times. Art direction by Derek Simmons.

After I sent this rough to Derek, I realized I could consolidate both figures. So I told him and he said "go for it", without even asking for another sketch.

Here's the tight preliminary drawing. For solar nerds the line pattern on the panels is mitsubishi. Last summer I got to start concepting some ads for their solar panels, but like many ad jobs, it changed direction halfway through. I was bummed though, I had asked to be paid in actual solar panels, which would have been awesome.

What's your waterfootprint?

2009-06-24T14:40:00.004-06:00

I'm always amazed, it seems the biggest way to reduce your carbon footprint AND your waterfootprint is too eat less meat. Too bad I like meat, but my wife doesn't so I'm a semi-vegetarian by default. I've gotten used to it though, and actually like it. About twice a year I'll eat a steak and it tastes good but since I'm not used to it, feels like a brick in my stomach.

Full page for Mother Jones.

The roughs. I went alittle nuts, but I'm a sucker for environmental stories.

The "final". Art direction and design by Carolyn Perot.

Locavores

2009-06-12T17:08:00.009-06:00

Locavores for the Boston Globe Magazine.
Art director was Grant Staublin. Who let me really push the textures on this one, which I really wanted to do so I could repeat the patterns of the rows of soil.

Here's the approved sketch. Grant had the idea of a family in a garden, so I compacted the space a bit. But obviously it needed a ton more work on the composition.

Since Locavores try to limit themselves to locally grown foods, like a 100 miles radius for example, I wanted to hint at the effort that goes into this voluntary self limiting, that why I have the figures contorting themselves into the square space. Initially I had a green dotted line around to symbolize the radius, but I dropped it. Also I don't usually stylize figures this much, but the idea called for it, and I enjoyed doing it.

Stab at Stalin

2009-06-11T10:22:00.015-06:00

Got to take a stab at Stalin, in an illustration for the NY Times book review of "Secret Speech" by Tom Rob Smith, author of "Child 44" which is soon to be movie. Art director was Nicholas Blechman.

The novel is set during the process of de-Stalinization, set off by Khrushchev's secret speech in 1956, during which some of the hunters and executioners became the hunted and executed.

In the illustration I wanted to show the Stalin driven murders and the cycle of revenge afterward.

I'd actually had a similar idea for some personal work I've been meaning to do on the bloody history of communism. In those sketches Stalin moustache's was a grim reapers scythe which I simply switched to a knife to better fit this assignment.

So I was thrilled when Nicholas gave me the job and ended up picking that idea.

Here's the sketches, I spent a bit too much time on them, but often when I'm really loving a subject I can't help myself.

Naturally I had to base my drawing of one of Stalin's posters, but as portraits go the best I've seen is this one by Ernest Hamlin Baker on the right, which is much revealing of the true Stalin.

Preliminary drawing, likeness still bad at this point.

A photoshop color study. I ended up pushing more distance between the figure and the background in the final, but I'm still unsure which is better, closer and flatter or a bit more atmospheric space.

GM in bankruptcy

2009-06-02T11:58:00.003-06:00

Janesville, Wisconsin a town unraveling from the closure of it's GM plant.
For the Progressive, art director Nick Jehlen. Inspiration was partly from one of my favorite Maynard Dixon paintings, see below.

The roughs.

my studio

2009-05-30T17:06:00.003-06:00

Thought I'd post a picture of my studio, that's C.J. there in the sun.

And my father's table he bought as an art student in the late 60's.

Animal Testing, Yes or No?

2009-05-26T09:22:00.010-06:00

For John Hopkins magazine on whether or not it would be ethical to bio-engineer an lab animal that didn't feel pain. Art director was Pamela Li.

Here's the roughs. I risked pushing the colored one, but I needed to see if I could get close enough to pulling it off. Luckily Pam liked it as well.

Here's the tight drawing, after a dozen re-drawings trying to get the black rabbits legs right.
After looking at reference photos of rabbits confined in little "stocks", I decided to crop in on the space also.

I actually ended up doing two versions of the final, because I felt the texture in the first one, on the left was distracting. What do you think?

Tiger TIME

2009-05-16T14:40:00.005-06:00

Here's a full page for TIME magazine's international edition I did a few weeks ago, but just got it in the mail. The subject was about how unsold exports are piling up at the docks of Asian countries, giving them quite a shock. Art direction by Cecelia Wong.

Here's the roughs. Cecelia liked the boats going off the fever line water cliff, but asked me to put in some tigers instead. No problem! I love drawing animals.

Tight sketch.
An inside quarter page.

And in print.

BYU magazine

2009-05-15T09:40:00.005-06:00

For a piece about keeping spiritual commitments.
Art director was A.J. Rich.

Here were the roughs for the opener and 2 insides.

After exploring a bunch of compositions here's the tight sketch and color study I arrived at.

Finishes of the two inside pieces. My wife Shayna posed for the rain one.

Here's the spread in the magazine, I love how he ghosted it over.
I think A.J. is great tying it all together so beautifully, in fact I hired him a few years ago to do one of my typography intros on my website. Can be see at alexnabaum.com, they load randomly so you have keep reloading the page until you see his.

Economist Cover

2009-05-04T10:57:00.006-06:00

For an Economist special report cover in April, on the the Rich.

In the current economic downturn the super rich have been the biggest losers.
You have to feel sorry for someone now worth only 200 million down from 300 million,
sniff...

Here's the roughs.
The line drawing.

One of a couple photoshop color studies.

I did 6 other illustrations for the inside, here's 2 of my favorites.

Disabled Rights

2009-04-29T09:14:00.009-06:00

This was for an essay in Atlanta Magazine which compared the past struggles for human and civil rights to the current struggle for rights for the disabled and handicapped. Art director was Eric Capossela.

Here are the roughs. Eric picked the strongest.

My idea was sparked by memories of seeing the above painting and drawing. Although I wasn't familiar with the the Wedgewood jasper-ware medallion. It was commissioned by the Quakers in 1788 and is particularly beautiful, I wish I owned one.

The reference was helpful but not enough though, for the pose I was after.
So I had to shoot myself, "disrobed" in art school parlance, since I couldnt' find my loincloth, for reference.
Not to worry, those photos will not be posted.

After a color study I realized it would read better in full white more like the familiar handicapped logo. My technique of embossing paper and running paint over doesn't work well at all for white.
So with the help of photoshop I figured what the reverse would look like and painted it like that.

The actual painting, before a simple invert in photoshop for the final.

Today's NYT OpEd

2009-02-04T11:01:00.003-07:00

For today's OpEd by Strafor's George Friedman about how Russia throws a monkey wrench into supplying the war in Afghanistan, which will give Obama some tough decisions. Art director was the ever cool Leanne Shapton, when I was a bit late with the final.

The roughs, can you guess which one was my favorite?

Preliminary drawing, my print didn't pick up enough of the details, but alas there was no time.

Forbes

2009-02-02T10:22:00.003-07:00

For a full page in Forbes on student debt.
Art director was Robert Mansfield.

Here's the roughs, my favorite was picked, it went well with the "Crushed By College" headline.

the preliminary drawing.

Some color studies, I went with the linework because the colors seemed to compete with the tassle, and the bare lines seemed to make the anvil/cap seem heavier.
Robert said it turned out so well, it was being considered for the cover in addition to the full page.

Billboard

2009-01-28T10:45:00.005-07:00

Got to do a fun Dali spoof for Billboard magazine on the "End of the CD"

AD was Christine Bower. It's done in gouache with some digital airbrushing.

Here's the roughs,
the editor totally flipped out over the Dali sketch.

Progressive Cover

2009-01-26T16:32:00.006-07:00

Here's the upcoming cover for the Progressive. Art director was Nick Jehlen.
The subject was the writer apprehensions about NorthCom,
a new Pentagon command that includes the U.S.A., a first, which can help co-ordinate with other govt and ngo's in disaster and terrorist attacks, but it's already accused of some abuses of power, like spying on anti-war protesters.
So I tried to explore the concept of a force that is projected outward to protect,
also being turned inward.
Here's the roughs. Nick liked the eagle, but it needed refining.

Sent this preliminary drawing in for approval.

Some color studies.

and the final.

Team of Hawks

2008-12-04T09:16:00.008-07:00

For TIME column by Peter Beinart on Obama's foreign policy team of hawks and how he (the author) believes they are a cover for actually making peace.
Art director was Patricia Hwang.

The article wasn't written when I got the assignment which is typical for a weekly, and kept changing focus after the first and second round of sketches, ( I'm not going to bore you with them all), so when there was only a few hours left, the story came in with the headline "Team of Hawks".
Since we were running out of time, I could just quickly paint a group of hawks, but I just had to give it another layer of meaning.
A few weeks before I had done a MC Escher-like full page piece for Money magazine, so I still had a bunch of MC Escher reference around.

So a simple ripoff of Escher, although it took about 5 attempts to come up with my version below, which I sent it in for a quick approval.

And the piece on the page.

SI 51 Annual and Alt Pick Awards

2008-11-24T08:38:00.005-07:00

Just found out this piece I did for This Old House magazine on windpower was accepted into the editorial category of Society of Illustrators 51. Art director was Hylah Hill.

and this piece won 1st place in the 5th annual AltPick Awards. Art Director was Richard Weigand at the New York Times.

High School Popularity

2008-11-11T09:40:00.004-07:00

For a New York Times Science article about the high school cult of popularity.
Psychologists say basically, it's good to be well-liked but bad to be super-popular
(which leads to earlier drinking, drugs, sex, etc).
Art director was Therese Shechter.
Here's the roughs, initially a horizontal space allocated, but Therese had the good idea to go vertical after she picked the totem poles sketch.

some reference...

Here's the preliminary drawing, which I emailed off so Therese could get started on the layout.

My tween daughter, Aubrey hadn't left for school yet so I showed it to her, (an expert these things), and she said the girl in the middle needs to be moved to the top.

A few minutes later I get an email from Therese:
"One memory from my own miserable teen years...the girl in the middle strikes me more as a top-of-the-pole figure than the bubble gum blower you have there now. What do you think of swapping?"
Hilarious, how could I argue with that!

Emotion on the brain

2008-10-21T07:13:00.005-06:00

Full page illustration for a Newsweek article on emotion and the brain.
AD was Patty Alvarez.

Here are the rough, Patty liked the smiley face ones, but I need a better composition for a full page.

In print

This one ran inside the article.

Also included in the package were 3 other articles about the brain.
Here's one on music.

And the roughs.

In print.

Ryder Cup ESPN

2008-10-13T10:11:00.005-06:00

This was for a full page in ESPN the magazine. It was about how the European team usually beats the American team despite it's star power. According to the writer it is because the european team travels and parties and plays together, while the american team are lone wolves, albeit chauffeured ones. Art director was Lou Vega.

My first set ideas were too much about the concept of team golf. ESPN wanted to highlight the fact that the team travels together, so below is round 2.

Lou picked the carts, but I needed a much more interesting composition to hold a full page, especially a page in ESPN which is 10x12! Made me anxious, because usually I count on a memorable idea to do the heavy lifting.

Here's the preliminary drawing, I must have done atleast a dozen rougher ones trying to get an good composition. Orchestrating multiple figures isn't my specialty so this took longer than usual, but it was fun - it's sports.

I decided to keep the final more sparse and graphic to try to hint at the european union flag and american flag.

Ironically a week later the Americans won the Ryder Cup! So I don't know if this ran or not.
If it did I'll update this post with the accompanying design in print, which in that magazine is always amazing.

$4 a gallon gas... Yes!

2008-08-27T11:47:00.007-06:00

This was for a BusinessWeek package on why cheap oil is bad for America.

Art direction by Ronald Plyman.

If only we could have had sustained $4 dollar gas awhile ago, we could be so much farther along the path of getting off oil and instead of being second place in the boom of green tech, America would be leading it.

But then we might have not "won" the cold war, since the huge and sustained drop in oil prices in the 80's and 90's had alot more to do with the demise of the Soviet Union than is realized.

Anyway here's to dreaming we can do it!

partial spread

quarter page

the roughs.

Georgia On My Mind

2008-08-27T11:34:00.007-06:00

I got to draw for Mikhail Gorbachev's OpEd on Georgia in the NYTimes last week, titled "Russia Never Wanted a War", which was a real treat and for the first time work for the new OpEd AD Leanne Shapton.

Mr. Gorbachev's piece was a good non-western point of view, if you can ingnore his brief kiss-up to Medvedev, but hey if I was living in Moscow surrounded by the FSB, well you can bet I would too.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/opinion/20gorbachev.html?ref=opinion

the preliminary drawing

the roughs.

A few days before TIME had warmed me up on the subject of Georgia, which helped. For a Power's article on Putin's Pride a key reason to the invasion.
Art director was Patricia Hwang.

Progressive Cover

2008-08-27T11:07:00.008-06:00

Got the opportunity to illustrate the cover of this months Progressive.
Subject was about teaching to the test aspect of No Child Left Behind an educational reform here in the States.
the rough ideas
It doesn't get much better that getting to spoof a government logo...

The cover, design and art direction by Nick Jehlen.

Here's some other covers I've done for them over the years,
the tank with coffin tracks got into PRINT's regional design annual.

Zimbabwe for TIME

2008-07-18T16:37:00.003-06:00

For a regular Samantha Powers column I draw for TIME, this week it was about how the international community (read the West) shouldn't invade Zimbabwe to get rid of Mugabe.

the roughs

preliminary drawing

The Green Wall of China

2008-06-20T09:08:00.004-06:00

For a cover article on China's increasing interest in green energy.

AD was Wai Lam.

I had to stack the turbines tighter than they would normally be, so they would read as a wall.

I really love the subject of green energy, so I had alot of fun concepting this one.

In the roughs I wanted some China specific ones and some more general ones, since this was for a chinese readership so it wasn't mandatory that it read China as well.

But I'm glad Wai picked the more china specific wall one, because it fit well.

Here's the piece on the cover.
I wish I could read Chinese.
(I'm trying to learn it)

TIME magazine

2008-06-20T08:38:00.003-06:00

For this weeks TIME Samantha Powers article about the history of U.S. Presidents negotiating with dictators, communists, etc. etc.

AD was Patricia Hwang.

Interesting point from the article

"In an effort to scuttle the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty in Congress, the Conservative Caucus took out a newspaper advertisement likening Reagan's position to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's dealings with Hitler."

Apparently Reagan was a appeaser too for talking to the evil empire.

I wanted it to be somewhat general but I did use scrap of Ahmadinejad and Obama as reference

Sometimes, like in this case, the article isn't written and only have a line or two to go on.
So I usually try to give a ton of different ideas to cover the myriad of directions the article might end up taking.

Since I'm on the subject of TIME,
here's the piece that ran the week or 2 before for the Samantha Powers column, this time it was on a commencement speech she gave. Talking about how young (an old) people can customize their media so much, that one can never get surprised and led off in a different direction.

I was glad Patricia choose that idea, because although it wasn't my first choice, it ended up being a better piece with a much broader application.

It's funny whenever I go back and look at old sets of roughs after a some time being away from them, it's so obvious which one is the best and it was 9 times out of 10 it's the one the AD picked. That's why it's nice to have a good set of second eyes not so enmeshed in the problem.

Disney

2008-06-18T14:22:00.003-06:00

For a Businessweek article about Disney forming a new venture capital fund.
Art director was Don Besom.

the roughs, my favorite was the acorn obviously, second favorite the pig.

Communication Arts and American Illustration

2008-05-14T10:58:00.010-06:00

Found out a few weeks ago, that I got a piece into the upcoming CA Illustration Annual.
It was for the bimonthly Generations column I illustrate for the NY Times.
This piece was about a young girl, who just couldn't fit in to pop culture, despite trying.
Something I personally related too. Art director was Richard Weigand.

Here are the roughs, the article mentioned Hairspray, Harry Potter and High School Musical.
I'm glad Richard choose the broader more conceptual solution. Richard also asked if gum always needs to be pink? Which got me thinking of a more interesting color palette that would highlight the bubbles, thanks twice Richard!

tighter drawing, composition was a bit tricky, multiple figures aren't my strength...
...and neither is color, so it took more than a few color studies.

This piece below was chosen for the American Illustration site.
It was for a Los Angeles Times Book Review, of the novel "Sunflower" which has femme fatale of sorts as one of the main characters. The art director was Carol Kaufman.

Here's the roughs below, that Carol had to choose from. I like including the roughs for two reasons to show the process of course, but also highlight how important the art director is in the process, from picking the best idea (half of the time I can't decide myself) to defending/selling the idea to editors.

CFO China

2008-05-08T09:54:00.007-06:00

This was a piece I did for CFO China, in Hong Kong on all the new chinese business regulations which are well crafted but companies never know how they will be enforced. Wai Lam, AD

Some roughs,
I always give some extra ones, when trying to communicate across cultures. It does help a bit, (but not much) having lived in China for a few months. I lived just outside Panyu near the huge city of Guangzhou, I was there teaching english towards my last year of college.

Layout in the magazine, design by Wai Lam.
Below is some covers I've done with him in the past.

So when I decided I needed an intro page in chinese for my website, I knew who exactly who I wanted to do it.

Design: Wai Lam
I love how he echoes the train tracks in the treatment of the characters, with my name small like a train on a track, brilliant!

And here is the uncropped version, originally for Businessweek, it was on the how the chinese economy keeps growing at a steady pace despite commodity swings, I stamped it with a little stamp of my name I got when I lived over there.

Unintended Consequences

2008-05-08T09:26:00.004-06:00

Bio-Fuel mandates seemed like good idea, but like alot of legislation it came with unintended consequences, which was the subject for 3 different illustrations all in the same week!
Above was for Newsweek International, AD Leah Purcell, on the food crisis.

Article was on using veggie oil to fuel cars, and how no one even California's Governor complies with the regulations, for Los Angeles Times, AD Kelli Sullivan. This piece was supposed to go on the front page, which is rare for a conceptual illustration, I wish I knew if it made it.

For Businessweek, AD Don Besom, about how we need to get rid of the bad bio-fuels, and keep the good ones.

the roughs for all 3 pieces lumped together.