Dream a little dream…

June 5, 2024

I was thrilled to receive an invitation to create a cover illustration for American Family Physician. I’ve dreamed of doing a cover for them ever since my graduate school days, so this was especially exciting.

This time, the editors wanted something different—bright, colorful, and focused on an anatomical close-up. The lead article was on diagnosing conjunctivitis. Now, drawing a weepy eye isn’t exactly the most glamorous subject for a cover, so I knew I wanted to show a cross-section. I decided to divide the three main types—allergic, viral, and bacterial conjunctivitis—into three general stripes, using red, green, and blue. The RGB was a playful nod to vision, though it had little to do with conjunctivitis itself; it just served as a handy organizational strategy.

Shown above are the initial rough, the first color proof, and the final illustration. It’s always fascinating to see how an idea evolves from sketch to finished piece, and this project was a dream realized.