Beguiling Cover Bunnies

The mailman brought along the nicest surprise. Opening a large envelope, I was discovered the new May cover to High Five Magazine.

It came out very nicely in print. I think an artist usually fusses over a cover. In fact it's entirely possible to over-fuss.

Being a cover bunny can do that to an artiste.
I'd guess cover girls must go through all the same things. I've always wondered, but I imagine it's true.

When I lived in Manhattan, I used to do work for 17 Magazine. I always liked dropping off sketches there... where I imagined all things fabulous might well become real.

No doubt being on the cover of any sort of magazine probably carries with it many of the same artistic quibbles.

Nerves, insecurities, nagging doubts and second thoughts....
Should I have worn a different swimsuit? (bunnies don't swim!)
Should I have worn a different sweater? (bunnies have fur, they don't need sweaters!)

Should I have shot my profile to the right instead of the left?
Do I look fat?

It's the same thing with artists and creating cover illustrations.


An artist will wonder: Are the colors too strong?
Is there too much background?
Should I have worked on the silhouette more... and redesigned the figures?
Did I use too many opaque highlights?
Are the figures the wrong size?
Did I overdo the shading?
Is there enough character...
Should I have gone for a more demure jollity overall?

These are the things that try a bunny's soul... but it's all character building in the long run. Like Popeye said, "I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam!"