COVERAGE: Van Halenstein

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Coverage, a behind the scenes look at YES! Weekly’s centerpiece - our cover. And I don't just say that because I'm usually the one to make it.

Like everything in journalism, designing a cover is a series of choices. The first: photo or illustration?

Some stories lend themselves to photography. Pieces with a strong human element, like last week’s story about a refugee family. Others are more abstract, like just about anything written by Jordan Green.

Then there’s this week’s cover story....

There are a few issues at play here, not the least of which is legal. We can’t get photos of the band ourselves. Can we get publicity photos? Are they high quality enough for print? How about copyright issues?

Because the show is already sold out, Van Halen’s press people aren’t terribly interested in local press. It was a quick decision to forgo all the pains of nabbing photography and go with illustration. Besides, it’s Van Halen. Who could resist?

Now comes the long process of kicking around concepts. Sometimes an idea immediately jumps into my head, wedging in like a logging accident. Sometimes it doesn’t come until late in the week, leaving me scrambling to get it done in time for press Monday night.

This one began as a cheap gag.


But, the idea of an 80’s rock resurrection stuck in my head, my editor approved, and I got cracking.



I started by sketching out the image in Photoshop. That’s right, folks, this week’s cover was 100% digital, drawn and painted on an iMac with a digital pen and tablet. I don’t always work fully digital, but I’m increasingly moving towards it for it’s speed and flexibility. You try erasing real oil paint, and you’ll know what I mean.

I did I get that rough-textured look on a computer? I cheated.



I have a library of images of various papers, textures, and media. One of my favorites is a series of ink washes on Bristol paper. In Photoshop, I can alter the color, change the transparency, and uses brushes to erase, lighten and darken until:



I’ve got an image that looks hand-made.

The rough-painted look was important because I wanted to invoke cheesy B-movie posters. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the results. Good images are like good headlines; they grab the reader’s eye, give a bit of info about the story, and make you want to read more. Cover images are even more important, because the entire book is at stake.

Plus, hey, it’s Van Halen. Who could resist?