Drawing from Life

From the archives: Recent Retirees

Here are some favorite pieces that were recently retired from my online portfolio. Thought I'd highlight them one more time....

Priority

New Yorker Desk Diary 2009

an unused Highline sketch, 2007

This year's New Yorker desk diary features my illustration of Highline Park. You can pick up your own 2009 desk calendar here.

Frost/Nixon

"Frank Langella in 'Frost/Nixon'," The New Yorker, October 16, 2006

I did this one for The New Yorker a few years ago when the play "Frost/Nixon" was being performed in London. It was a particularly fun challenge to balance the likeness between Frank Langella and Richard Nixon. Later this month, Ron Howard's film adaptation will open so this was a good time to dig this piece out.

Here's the movie's trailer:

The Crime/ The Crime Lab

From 2004:

From the Archives: The Bikers

From the Archives: Montage series

From the archives: Horse and rider

This is an old one but still a favorite.

Happy Independence Day!

© Michael Chabon, 2006.
"Pharoah All Star Comics No. 1," The Escapists #1, July 2006

Thought I'd highlight this piece for the 4th of July- it doesn't get much more patriotic than a superhero waving the American flag!

From the Archives: Health Kick

"Managed Care's Health Kick," American Medical News, June 17, 2006

I came across this illustration and its sketches while I was going through some files last week. It made me smile so I thought I'd share it. The sketch on the left was inspired by the work of Robert Longo.

"Rick," Robert Longo, 1994

From the Archives: Cowboys

(This is the 300th post!)

From the Archives: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

This portrait of Sister Rosetta Tharpe originally appeared as a detail in a 2005 New Yorker illustration. I prefer it on its own these days.

From the Archives: Fountains of Wayne

"Fountains of Wayne," The New Yorker, January 23 & 30, 2006

This illustration just came down from the main portfolio. This was one of the last pieces that was art directed by Gibb Slife. He left the New Yorker to pursue a career as a fine artist. We went through quite a few color variations (see below).


After this illustration was published, I was contacted by a woman working for Fountains of Wayne. She told me that the band wanted a giclée print. As it turned out, they weren't as interested in buying a print as they were in having one given to them. "You know rock stars," she said. "They never want to pay for anything."

Man About Town

From the Archives: "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold"

Read the Gay Talese article, "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold," here.
I did a portrait of Talese for Columbia Journalism Review in 2006. See it here.

Happiness

"Money Can Buy Happiness," Absolute Magazine, March 2006

This just came out of my online portfolio to make way for Snoop....

Forums

(click image for larger view)

Here's a piece I did for the forums section of the Stranger's website in 2006. I'm unsure if it was ever used- I couldn't find it if it was. Half of the figures are likenesses of friends.

Johnny Ace

From 2003.

On the Horizons