Editorial illustration for Big Issue North Magazine
Thanks to AD Christian Lisseman

I was commissioned to illustrate an August cover for Big Issue North, relating to an interview with British linguist David Crystal. The article delves into his new book, Let’s Talk, and his observations on how language has changed in the age of Coronavirus.

We went for the crowd scene, as it gave a sense of multiple people in conversation as well as referencing the new norm of Social Distancing. The cubes further the themes of self-isolation, which I contrasted by using gestural marks to represent conversations and messaging.

I wanted this cover to be bright and eye-catching, so I used a fluro pink and soft blue that I mixed by varying opacities and multiply layers. The cubes were filled with a white overlay to differentiate them and give them a ‘glass look’.

Tools: Adobe Fresco, Kyle T. Webster brushes, iPad Pro, Apple Pencil