A Dueling Politician with Dueling Legacies

Amidst the recent political debates we've been watching, we're reminded of a politician whose very contribution to American history remains under debate.  

The talented Daniel Baxter was recently commissioned by Marianne Nelson, the art director for Princeton Alumni Weekly, to create imagery for an article about Aaron Burr. Baxter decided to create a mirror-image portrait of Aaron Burr to convey his dueling legacies: as a treasonous lunatic and as a rational modernist. Daniel's creative thinking developed through several sketches, which we are happy to share with you below!

For the American history lovers out there: Aaron Burr was vice president to Thomas Jefferson between 1801 and 1805. He lives in infamy for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel--an event that several artists have riffed on in recent years. He was also put on trial for conspiring to invade and take over Mexico. But Burr had redemptive qualities as well: he was a feminist, a rationalist, and a supporter of manumission (the act of a slave owner freeing his slaves); he also perfected many campaign techniques which are utilized in modern politics. So, as our artist Daniel Baxter illustrates, should we really continue to demonize this complicated man?

 

CLICK HERE for Daniel Baxter's portfolio.

 

Final layout for "American Lucifer" article

Sketch #1: Mirror images of Aaron Burr, portrayed as devil and angel

Sketch #2" Straight-on portrait of Burr with relevant elements of his story

Sketch #3: Overlapping contradictory portraits of Burr

Sketch #4: Burr looking in a mirror as devil, reflecting as angel

 

CLICK HERE for Daniel Baxter's portfolio.

Going the Distance with Nigel Buchanan

Nigel Buchanan has just published a fantastic series of illustrations in Runner's World! If you're looking for an artist who can go the distance, look no further. Nigel stuns with this marathon three-page spread.

 

Nigel always begins an illustration by drawing on tracing paper. But he only draws images the size of a postage stamp or (at their biggest) a credit card. Once he sends a sketch to the art director and it's been approved, he scans it into the computer and uses it as a guide to render the image in Photoshop. 

Benjamen Purvis, the new design director for Runner's World, featured Nigel's illustrations in his very first issue. The article "Is This Okay?" is a "start-to-finish beginner's guide (or veteran's refresher course) to the do's and don'ts of race-day etiquette." Nigel helps demonstrate how runners shouldn't wear headphones during a race, lunge for free water, or scoff at slower runners.



 

                               

                                                                                                 ^ Don't run wearing someone else's bib.

^ Don't ask a fast-paced friend to jump in at the end and help you finish the race.

 

          ^ Don't lunge at the water table.                              ^ Don't wear headphones during a race.

CLICK HERE for Nigel Buchanan's portfolio.