Utne Reader Illustrated Blog Series

One of my favorite commissioners of editorial illustration, Stephanie Glaros of Utne Reader, has recently started an ongoing Utne Reader Illustrated blog series. Making herself that much cooler now in the illustration world, and giving the readers some insight about the editorial illustration process that goes on behind the scenes. She just featured a recent illustration that her and I worked on together about retirement. You can check out the article here: Utne Reader Illustrated: Jesse Kuhn.

Utne Reader has really been influential in my career as an illustrator so far. I’ve had the opportunity to work on many articles with Stephanie over the past couple years. It’s where good ol’ Greetings From Mr. Bird got his birth certificate, which went on to win awards in AI 29 and CQ 17, and has also been cloned and hung on the walls of many homes now throughout the world as limited edition illustration art prints.

So many other illustrators that I admire have contributed work to the magazine over the years; several of whom are mentioned on Utne’s website. 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.

My life as an illustrator is still in it’s infancy and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given by people like Stephanie. It was only three years ago that I left an unfulfilling design-monkey desk job in the midwest with dreams of New York City and a desire to do something different. I had always really wanted to be a full-time illustrator. To get to wake up everyday and draw. No more clocking in and clocking out. No more Monday morning status meetings. Someone who actually gets paid to think—and draw—for a living... what a concept :)

Thanks again for supporting my dreams Stephanie, and for supporting so many other freelance illustrators in our community!



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view my editorial illustration portfolio at http://www.rawtoastdesign.com/