In this continuing series, Utne Reader Art Director Stephanie Glaros explains the
process behind an Utne Reader
illustration.
For the article “If You Make It Mandatory, They Will Have to
Come,” I thought we could have a bit of fun while highlighting the idea of
making voting mandatory to combat low voter turnout. “Fun” and “politics” are
two things that William Brown excels at with his illustrations. His modern
digital-scratchboard style lends itself to a huge variety of topics, which is
why I’ve chosen to work with him many times over the past five years. Another
great thing about Bill is the number of sketches he provides me. Most artists
give me two or three, but with Bill I’ve come to expect a half dozen or more
different options. And I LOVE options! Below are a few of my favorites for
this assignment.
Since its inception in 1984, Utne Reader has relied on talented artists to create original
images for stories that express powerful emotions, brilliant new ideas, and
humorous storytelling. Browsing through back issues of Utne Reader is like a tour of “Who’s Who”
in the illustration world. Artists like Gary Baseman, Brad Holland, Anita Kunz,
Bill Plympton, and Seymour Chwast have graced our pages over the years, to name
just a few.
