Recently in illustration Category

Happy Thanksgiving! 11 Illustrated New Yorker Thanksgiving Covers

The New Yorker has been publishing Thanksgiving covers for most of its history. But our favorites are the ones done since 1993, all art directed by Francois Mouly. Here are 10 of our favorites (plus one pre-93 cover by Saul Steinberg because we loved it so much!)… MORE

Rolling Stone and the Art of the Record Review, Pt. 2: Senior Art Director Steven Charny

Rolling Stone senior art director Steven Charny is the guy responsible for assigning the lead record review illustration that appears in every issue of the magazine. Under the direction of RS art director Joe Hutchinson, Charny continues the long tradition of one of the premier editorial spotlights for illustrators. A great collection of 40 years of Rolling Stone illustrated portraits is now on display at the Society of Illustrators (through October 22). Tonight, October 5, at 6.30pm, the Society presents An Evening with Rolling Stone Magazine Senior Art Director Steven Charny. He'll be presenting lots of wonderful work, as well as discussing the creative process, and showing off lots of behind-the-scenes sketches. This is an essential evening for anyone interested in illustration. Charny answered some questions for SPD, and shared some of his favorite recent illustrations from the magazine, on the jump page.

(Above): Unpublished illustration of Shakira by Roberto Parada, for Rolling Stone (see details on the next page).
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Rolling Stone and the Art of the Record Review

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American Illustration competition winners

The winners of the latest American Illustration competition are online as a cool slideshow. You can see hundreds of illustration samples by many different illustrators, a wide range of styles and subject matter. On display are both the winners that will be published later this year in the American Illustration 29 annual, as well as an additional selection of online-only illustrations.… MORE

Illustrator Frank Frazetta, R.I.P.

Comic book, science fiction, and fantasy fans everywhere were saddened today by the death of illustrator supreme Frank Frazetta. Frazetta was known for his science fiction and fantasy book covers, and also for his many magazine covers for publications like Eerie, Creepy, Vampirella, and the National Lampoon. His penchant for drawing scantily-clad women with outrageous proportions made him a favorite of males of all ages, although surely SPD members appreciated Frazetta for his deft drawing and attention to detail.… MORE

Bruce Jay Friedman book covers

Illustrator Drew Friedman has published a collection of 15 covers from books written by his father, author Bruce Jay Friedman. They range back to the early 60s, and include cool illustrations by Saul Steinberg, Victor Juhasz, and Christoph Niemann, among others, as well as some smart, creative cover designs. 

Today's Inspiration: Brilliant Archival Illustration

Today's Inspiration. is a brilliantly written, curated, and edited visual website devoted to the history of editorial illustration from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The brainchild of Canadian illustrator Leif Peng, the site is updated daily and also has a daily email newsletter. This is the ultimate website for rich information on classic old school illustrators and illustration! There's also a new companion site, Female Illustrators of the Mid-20th Century.… MORE

David Cowles' Black History Month illustrated portraits

In honor of Black History Month, illustrator David Cowles has posted a gallery on his Facebook page of 28 portraits of noted African American activists, celebrities, and entertainers. It's a great collection of illustrations in a variery of styles, all of them distinctive and memorable. We've got a dozen more examples here; visit Cowles' Facebook page and website to see many more.… MORE

Illustrator David Levine, R.I.P.

We just received the sad news that brilliant illustrator David Levine passed away at the age of 83. Most famous for his many illustrations of writers for The New York Review of Books, Levine was also part of the school of 60s illustrators who skewered LBJ, Nixon and others with wit and style. The New York Review of Books has a wonderful gallery of Levine's work here. And you can see a quick take on a handful of his greatest illustrations (LBJ, Nixon, Kissinger...) here.

From Nagel to Niemann

I recently visited the National Portrait Gallery in London which got me thinking about editorial portraits. In magazine design, more often than not, photography is the star of the show. But there are more great illustrators today than ever before, and I will always have a special respect for artists who can take an image like a basic portrait and transform it into something uniquely their own---through drawing. Maybe it's a side-effect of my own unrealized dreams of becoming a really cool, famous painter. But for now, I'll settle for being cool by association.
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