Book Release ::::: 2011 Pencil and Digital

Out of pure naïveté, I decided to draw a cover for the bastion of all magazines: The New Yorker. I knew I wanted to draw buildings, and at first I played around with a cozy area near Bleecker but then I learned that the covers editor had her own publishing company in the historic, beautiful flat iron district.

Now this next bit should give you a little insight into how my brain works. I went on to Google earth (see attached gallery) and found the perfect angle for my scene – like flying a virtual helicopter around Manhattan! Then I actually built (in a computer 3D program) the entire block that would be closest in frame, window by window, brick by brick. A line drawing later and some paint in photoshop (yes – this would be better in watercolor – next time!), the illustration was done.

Now how to get it in front of them… Luckily, a good buddy of mine was friends with the art director at GQ, who was good friends with Françoise Mouly, the covers editor. When I showed him the final work, he enthusiastically forwarded it along up a few flights of stairs at 4 Times Square.

A few weeks later, I got a package in the mail. No reject letter. Just a note that said “Next time send your return envelope so we can send you your artwork back”