Steve Wacksman - Exhibitor Spread

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Exhibitor Spread

posted:January 23, 2008

The final art, although considerably smaller than actual size.

Recently the fine folks at Exhibitor Magazine displayed their good breeding and exceptional taste by hiring us to produce a double page spread for their fine publication. Well played, Exhibitor. Well played.

The brief that was sent to us via electronic mail revealed that the piece would be a hard-hitting expose of the often questionable tactics used to draw attention to oneself in the competitive arena of the trade show. An example cited in the brief had one desperate outfit dressing midgets ( their words, not mine. Little people need not bombard our PR staff with angry missives) as Mexicans and filling their sombreros with chips and salsa. The project proved impossible to resist.

Also included in the spread were naked cowboys, urinating statues, man dressed as prophylactics, scantily-clad pizza slinging tarts... a regular comic smorgasbord.

As is becoming more and more common here in the hallowed halls of Drawger, I'm including a look at the 'process' as it were. Here's a snippet of the sketch. All characters were scanned and saved as separate layers then scaled and moved about as need be. The intention was to have each character be an individual color to differentiate one from the other.

It was decided the sexual aids were a bit risque for the publication's genteel readership.

I labored like a one-legged tapdancer trying to get the colors satisfactory. It was an uphill climb but I finally nailed it. I sent a progress report to the client who countered that she preferred a more limited palette.

That night in the wee hours I sprung from my bed inspired. I summoned my manservant to prepare a mug of hot cocoa with a dash of whiskey. And I rummaged through the stacks until I uncovered my inspiration- Roger Duvoisin's "Petunia". A symphony composed solely in 3 colors. I pointed and clicked well into the night and by sunup had finally achieved a satisfying solution.