PEGs Cover Released w/Laura Smith Artwork

Years ago I designed the cover for the 6th Edition of the “Graphic Artists Guild Handbook–Pricing & Ethical Guidelines”. I’d like to believe that my cover helped start a tradition of having excellent covers for the Guild’s main publication. Among the previous cover artists have been such luminaries as Lou Brooks, Noah Woods, John Hersey, and Richard McGuire—each with a decidedly different point of view and aesthetic. Now my wife, illustrator Laura Smith has joined that grand tradition.

The Graphic Artists Guild has just released the 13th Edition with Laura’s beautiful work gracing the front back and spine:

The cover artists chosen by the Guild for the this project have always been given free reign to come up with a theme that would be carried through the book. Laura chose a circus theme since two things she loves are storybook illustration and circus imagery. This is especially evident on the back cover of this book where she’s created and written copy for an elaborate series of spots highlighting in circus/storybook style various aspects of the business of design and illustration:

Laura has always been one of the few illustrators who understands how to completely integrate typography into her illustrations, and this cover really demonstrates that fact. The Guild has chosen to highlight Laura and tell more of this story in their Member Spotlight. But also please check out the rest of the Graphic Artists Guild website—it’s the only organization that’s totally devoted to promoting and protecting the social, economic and professional interests of all graphic artists.

I will be headlining an event that the LA Chapter of the Guild will be holding later this month in downtown Los Angeles . . . but more about that later.

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I wasn’t going to post the PEGs cover I designed back in the day, but since Ms. Blake asked, here it is. Side note: the beginnings of the style that eventually became my Metroscript font can be seen in the word “Guidelines”.