Coverage: Who are these people?

In terms of man-hours, this week's cover image wasn't that big a deal (the same wasn't true of the story itself, which took hours for our reporters to compile and me to lay out in print and post online).

Ethically, there are some interesting issues at play.


When dealing with election coverage, things get... complicated. After some debate in the office, is was decided we would run as many of the candidates' photos as we could manage to get. For some, this meant running file photos; others provided images or agreed to meet us for a shoot. The result is that some photos were better than others.

My preference would have been to bring each candidate into the office, where we can regulate the quality of the images to insure a level playing field. Unfortunately, we had neither the clout nor the resources. What we were able to do is keep each image at relatively the same size, avoiding giving prominence to any one over the other.

As for the cover, I didn't sweat it as much. The goal here was simple to show the range and diversity of the candidates, not to squeeze as many on as possible. Without their names attached, the photos can't unfairly impact your vote — a good reason not to include photos on the ballot.

Overall, the candidates' images should serve to lend them a sense of humanity. The Nixon-Kennedy debate aside, looks should not play a role in your vote — unless you still believe in Physiognomy

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?