About the May 2007 Highlights Cover
Artist David Galchutt tells us the story behind the May cover.
"I've always really loved medieval art, so this cover was a fun project for me to do. I knew I wanted to show a girl and a unicorn, based on the famous Lady and the Unicorn series of tapestries in France.
"Halfway through the project, I happened to have a trip planned to France, so I got to see the real tapestries. I went to the Cluny Museum; it has the best collection of medieval art in the world. Knowing that I had to do the cover, it was just a joy to see the art. Before I left for France, I had done the pencil sketch, but I hadn't painted anything. It was very helpful to see all that stuff before I started painting.
"I start by drawing a series of very small rough sketches until I find a composition that I like. Then I do a rough drawing on tissue paper. After that, I put another piece of tissue paper on top and do a much tighter, more controlled drawing, getting rid of the little mistakes.
"From there, I do a series of quick felt-tip-marker and colored-pencil sketches to see what kind of color composition I want to use. Then I stretch watercolor paper—I wet it and stretch it on a board, and let it dry. I then take my drawing, which is on tissue paper, and retrace the whole thing on graphite paper, which transfers it to the watercolor paper behind it. It's very tedious and very boring. But then finally, I get to paint it. Painting is my favorite part!"
Want to know more about David? Click here!