posted: November 28, 2007

This is Sam Weber's last week as assistant art director at The New York Times Op-Ed page. I've had the pleasure to work with him many times over the last few years on the Letters column illustrations. Whenever I get a call from Sam and the art director, Brian Rea, my adrenaline rises and I go into "Op-Ed mode", racing to make the same-day deadlines that lead me to create the kind of assignment work that satisfies my soul the most.

I owe Sam a debt. At one point he suggested that I use my sketches as final art, something that I had not previously done (I lacked the confidence). There's a roughness and spontaneity in my black lines which appears in my sketches, and often gets lost as I "pasteurize" the art when doing finals. Sam's suggestion has had a big impact on all my work, and brought me closer to my personal Grail of the perfect line. Good luck Sam! It's been great working with you. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your illustration work around... hopefully here on Drawger!

Here are some assignments we worked on together:

posted: November 27, 2007

posted: November 20, 2007