YALE Cover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.