In terms of recent projects, the SVA MFA Poster has finally gone to press and I'm pretty damn proud of it if I do say so myself. Marshall Arisman, David Sandlin, and Nathan Fox all participated along with the entire graduating class of '09, and its really special. Those should be in my hands with a couple of weeks and I'll be sure to post pics. Also, the third "Altpick Deck" has been delayed slightly due a printer error, but I've seen an advance copy and it looks AMAZING. I'm really proud of it, and its different from the previous two decks, so it really stands by itself.
On the illustration front, I did a piece for Alpha Magazine a couple of weeks ago and its my first 'road illustration'. What does that mean you ask? Well, right before I left on my cross country excursion I took the job, and was emailing, sketching, and doing my usual business stuff while traveling by bus. I really wanted to do the illustration, and fortunately the art director Diana Panfil was incredibly patient and understanding of the situation and slightly extended the final deadline to accommodate my insane schedule.
The working title is called "Trust But Verify" and its about hedge-fund managers seeking third party consultants to appease distrusting clients. I tried to fit both ideas of "third party consultants" and "verification", but in the end only needed the verification angle. I tried something I've never done editorially which is use sequential panels, and I was pretty stoked. Here's a sketch that I sent from a FeEx/Kinko's in Houston, TX.
The body language is definitely subtle, with the biggest shift happening in the last panel. I wouldn't call this 'risky', but I think some other publications would have requested more action and I was so happy that Diana had faith in the idea.
For the final I kept the palette minimal (pink can be minimal), and kept the vibe casual. The last panel's my favorite and I really dig it as a whole. I think I made Josh Bayer proud, aha. Also, I made my Monday deadline and took the longest nap of my life afterward.
So that's about it Blog. One month left!
