THE ISTHMUS
COVER ILLUSTRATION
The Isthmus is a long-running paper in my hometown: Madison, Wisconsin. I read it my entire life, and in the fall of 2021 I was invited to illustrate the cover. The ask was an illustration with a fall theme that touched on technology and avoided the standard autumnal color palette.
Concept Development | Illustration
Publication: The Isthmus | Creative Direction: Tommy Washbush
Step 1: Sketches
Working with the theme of a techno/modern fall, I sketched out a dozen or so cover illustration options, and presented my favorites to the Creative Director.
…should I make that sweater IRL? 🤔
Step 2: COLOR AND TEXTURE
Working digitally in Procreate is great because it allows me to experiment with colors and make quick changes based on client feedback. For a super sped up sneak peak at my final texture process, click play on the video!
Step 3: It’s alive!
While I love the result on screen, there's nothing like feeling that nice pulpy newsprint texture in real life.
So just pretend.