Editorial Illustration: Communicating an Idea Visually

I've been doing cover illustrations for years, working on many projects for The New Yorker, Time Magazine, and BusinessWeek to name a few. All of these projects have one thing in common: identifying your metaphor, and visually running with it.

My illustrations require a thoughtful concepting process that helps me find that appropriate metaphor. This metaphor is the meat and potatoes of editorial illustration. In this class, you'll get a glimpse of my process: from concepting your metaphor and it's symbolism, to developing your sketch, to finally completing your illustration. This is the process I go through for commissioned editorial illustrations as well as fine art creation.

What You'll Learn

• Your Idea. We'll explore the current political scene and relevant stories in the media to research and explore metaphors and symbolism.
• Concepting. We'll concept your chosen issue and brainstorm around its visual representation.
• Sketching. We'll sketch out various ideas for your metaphor to come to life.
• Illustrating. We'll work with a variety of color mediums to illustrate your piece.
• Finalizing. We will put finishing touches on your coloring, and we'll touch on professionalizing your approach

What You'll Do

As I create a full commissioned editorial illustration, you will follow along and create your own! You will be challenged to think about a current political event or relevant issue in the media to concept out and illustrate. I will teach you constructive ways to identify your concept, bring it to life, challenge the issue at hand, and have a nice visual aesthetic.

Concepting and illustrating your ideas is a critical skill in communicating as an artist. Editorial illustrators have the unique opportunity to share their vision with a general audience. I am going to teach you how to communicate clearly through your art as a conscious image maker, rather than a slave to your medium.