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.

Team of Hawks

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

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.