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Serendipity

MAY 8, 2009

Serendipity…

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Time magazine called on 4.7.09 with an assignment to do 10 small portraits for the Time 100 issue.nbsp Fortune magazine called on 4.8.09 to do approximately 7 illustrations for a story about the rise and fall of Bernie Madoff.nbsp Later that week, another portrait for Time came in.nbsp All 18 pieces were due on 4.24.09.nbsp That meant 18 illustrations in 15 days!nbsp For some illustrators, that is not such a big deal.nbsp For me, this was a definite challenge and a reason to be very nervous.

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The Time portraits were simple and straightforward.nbsp Do a portrait of the subject and don’t worry about concept, or even a background!nbsp The Fortune illustrations were a bit more challenging because the assignment required that the same character be depicted in several illustrations, and that the environments be credible, and that several characters be represented in a narrative kind of way.

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The fees for both assignments were handsome.nbsp In this economy, the combination of both assignments represented a fair amount of money and even a chance to relax for 15 minutes after the work was done.

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Throughout my career, I’ve done similar assignments for clients such as Sports Illustrated, Wig Wag, The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, and G.Q., as well as other clients.nbsp One would think I would have the experience and confidence to move through this work without any undue sense of fear and anxiety.

Wrong!nbsp

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Well, I got it done and here it is. nbspAll I can say is that being an illustrator is like shaving without a mirror.nbsp If you can’t “feel” it, you’re going to bleed.

Topical: Re-creation  Portraits  
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