- sign in
- |
- Welcome
News
Galleries
Categories
- Anything Technical (1)
- Award Winners (46)
- Contests - Events (41)
- Creative Carnival (6)
- Features (342)
- Galleries (4)
- Headline (342)
- Illustration (193)
- Interviews (13)
- Job Listings (2)
- lettering (2)
- Marketing Intelligence (34)
- Motion (7)
- Musing On (56)
- New Talent (1)
- Photography (222)
- Portfolios (2)
- Pro Bono (7)
- Production (7)
- This Just In... (19)
Contributors
Archives
Blogroll
- Maslov Agent Internationale
- Anderson Hopkins News
- MergeLeft
- PDN Pulse
- PopPhoto
- So Good
- Osocio
- Nick Burcher
- Adverblog
- Sally Bjornsen Represents
- Button Represents
- Randy Cole Represents
- Heather Elder Reps News
- Emissary Artists
- ETC Creative
- Candace Gelman & Associates News
- Hennessy Represents
- Scott Hull Associates
- Jean Gardner & Associates
- Nadine Kalmes + Associates
- Kate & Company News
- Sheri Radel Rosenberg
The Workbook Blog is a destination for creative professionals and their agents to share ideas, insights and news. Click here to learn more about Workbook and our services.
Blog » Illustration
Artists Design Their Own 'Mad Men' Posters on NYC Subway
As part of its campaign to promote the new season of Mad Men airing from March 25, cable network AMC has plastered New York City’s subway station with blank ads to spur fans’ imagination. The minimalist canvas features the signature “falling man” and with a little help from the public, he is now seen breakdancing, bouncing on a trampoline, eaten by sharks and even being saved by Superman. It might not bring back the graffiti covered subway trains of the 1980s, but it's a cheap and creative way to promote season 5.
There's also a clean digital version from AMC here for you to lend your creativity into the popular drama series.
(Read more)
Sprouls Method - The Hedcut
By Kevin Sprouls
All right, everyone, gather ’round! I’m going to show you all how I create those iconic portraits, in the style I introduced to the Wall Street Journal and still seen around the world today.
The required tools include:
A soft pencil (I actually use a lead-holder, like the old draftsmen used back in the day, HB grade lead.)
Ink for the technical fountain pens (You can use a dip pen like this, but I wouldn’t recommend it— hard to control, and messy!)
And you’ll need an eraser. (The one pictured is known as a “Pink Pearl”— I prefer the kneaded rubber type, which is superior.) A fine, high-quality paintbrush and some white designer’s gouache will take care of any “adjustments” which might be necessary.
Many of my clients send photos to work with that, I must say, can be challenging. The following illustrates one case of a recently produced portrait. Step one: The Client sends me the photograph. It looks like this:
Not great, but it has just enough detail to work with. Step two: get the image into photoshop, convert to grey, size image to my liking, and crop.
Step three: I print out the greyscale image and transfer the photo’s information onto illustration board by tracing on the photo. The resulting contour drawing is like a map for me to follow as I “ink” the finished product.
Everything is done by hand, one mark of the pen at a time. Once the portrait is inked, the pencil lines get erased, and I’m ready to “touch up” any visual issues with the paint brush. And the final result:
This is a large image, to show detail. Below is the portrait as it might be used on the web or in print.
I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. I understand that the folks over at the WSJ use a slightly different process to get their hedcuts into the paper, but the hallmark style remains the same: Picturing Business.
All right, everyone, gather ’round! I’m going to show you all how I create those iconic portraits, in the style I introduced to the Wall Street Journal and still seen around the world today.
The required tools include:
A soft pencil (I actually use a lead-holder, like the old draftsmen used back in the day, HB grade lead.)
Ink for the technical fountain pens (You can use a dip pen like this, but I wouldn’t recommend it— hard to control, and messy!)
And you’ll need an eraser. (The one pictured is known as a “Pink Pearl”— I prefer the kneaded rubber type, which is superior.) A fine, high-quality paintbrush and some white designer’s gouache will take care of any “adjustments” which might be necessary.
Many of my clients send photos to work with that, I must say, can be challenging. The following illustrates one case of a recently produced portrait. Step one: The Client sends me the photograph. It looks like this:
Not great, but it has just enough detail to work with. Step two: get the image into photoshop, convert to grey, size image to my liking, and crop.
Step three: I print out the greyscale image and transfer the photo’s information onto illustration board by tracing on the photo. The resulting contour drawing is like a map for me to follow as I “ink” the finished product.
Everything is done by hand, one mark of the pen at a time. Once the portrait is inked, the pencil lines get erased, and I’m ready to “touch up” any visual issues with the paint brush. And the final result:
This is a large image, to show detail. Below is the portrait as it might be used on the web or in print.
I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. I understand that the folks over at the WSJ use a slightly different process to get their hedcuts into the paper, but the hallmark style remains the same: Picturing Business.
The Art of Sketching
I am pleased to announce that I am featured in the book The Art of Urban Sketching! The wonderful non-profit organization Urban Sketchers which was founded by Gabi Campanario has put together this wonderful book featuring amazing Urban Sketchers, such as Veronica Lawlor, Greg Betza and Margaret Hurst from around the world! It is an honor to be a part of such an amazing book with such wonderful artists. Be sure to get your copy!
Jacob Thomas & The Learning Tree
These new backpack designs by Jacob Thomas for School Bags for Kids will be available at the end of February on their website: www.schoolbagsforkids.com
For every bag sold a bag full of school supplies is sent to a child in need!
Boring Meetings Magically Become Interesting!
By Jon Reinfurt
Here’s a couple of illustrations I got to do for the most recent issue of Convene Magazine. The theme was “terrible meetings”, or more accurately how to breath life into a bad meeting or convention in order to make it more effective. Basically the AD wanted to have a really boring meeting depicted on the cover, and then for the inside feature show to some sort of positive magical transformation. We went through a good amount of sketches for the cover but in the end they settled on the idea of a crowd of bored convention attendees as seen from the perspective of the speaker. Pictured above is the final art for the cover without the text (Sorry, I haven’t received a copy of the completed magazine yet). The inside illustration (below) shows the transformation of the same audience into a packed crowd of excited and engaged convention goers.
(Read more)
Here’s a couple of illustrations I got to do for the most recent issue of Convene Magazine. The theme was “terrible meetings”, or more accurately how to breath life into a bad meeting or convention in order to make it more effective. Basically the AD wanted to have a really boring meeting depicted on the cover, and then for the inside feature show to some sort of positive magical transformation. We went through a good amount of sketches for the cover but in the end they settled on the idea of a crowd of bored convention attendees as seen from the perspective of the speaker. Pictured above is the final art for the cover without the text (Sorry, I haven’t received a copy of the completed magazine yet). The inside illustration (below) shows the transformation of the same audience into a packed crowd of excited and engaged convention goers.
(Read more)
Crowd Sourcing
By Richard Borge
Here is a piece done last Monday for Wall Street Journal about crowd sourcing i.e. hiring out micro tasks to large numbers of people, rather than hiring temps or part timers. Jonathan Pillet was the art director, always a pleasure to work with!
Here is a piece done last Monday for Wall Street Journal about crowd sourcing i.e. hiring out micro tasks to large numbers of people, rather than hiring temps or part timers. Jonathan Pillet was the art director, always a pleasure to work with!
Steven Tabbutt Wins the Silver!
By Morgan Gaynin Inc.
Last Friday night was the opening reception for the Society of Illustrators (the Uncommissioned and Sequential Show), and though it is always a delight to congregate with so many colleagues and friends, we had additional reason to feel jovial - the wonderful Steven Tabbutt was awarded a Silver Medal for his gorgeous image “Infest”. Congratulations, Steven! This is one of the great honors of our industry, and we couldn’t be prouder.
“Infest,” copyright Steven Tabbutt:
Last Friday night was the opening reception for the Society of Illustrators (the Uncommissioned and Sequential Show), and though it is always a delight to congregate with so many colleagues and friends, we had additional reason to feel jovial - the wonderful Steven Tabbutt was awarded a Silver Medal for his gorgeous image “Infest”. Congratulations, Steven! This is one of the great honors of our industry, and we couldn’t be prouder.
“Infest,” copyright Steven Tabbutt:
D Magazine - Alcohol and Urbanism
By Ryan Snook
I created this illustration for Todd Johnson at D Magazine for an article about the proliferation of highway spending along with mandatory parking minimums at bars virtually guaranteeing drinking and driving.
I created this illustration for Todd Johnson at D Magazine for an article about the proliferation of highway spending along with mandatory parking minimums at bars virtually guaranteeing drinking and driving.
Martin French: America
This series of illustrations by Martin French was commissioned by MarketVision, a San Antonio based agency with offices in NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, & Mexico City. The overall theme of the campaign was multiculturalism and the changing face of America. The portrait illustration was used as a promotional poster for the agency, with the secondary images used in print and web advertising. Art Director: Robert Sosa
(Read more)
All images copyright of the artists. © 2012 WORKBOOK LLC