BYU magazine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.