Blown Covers

This week’s winner is “Bearly Awake” by Jack Hunter, who cleverly uses the end of winter to show the arrival of spring. I’d have asked him to remove the bunny slippers — since they’re in the center of the picture, they distract you from connecting the bear with the newspapers. Also, in this day and age cigarettes on the magazine’s cover would instantly trigger angry letters. But I like the bear’s posture and the use of shadow - well done!

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Thank you for all the wonderful submissions! This week, they’re all in one slideshow: the winner, 10 runner-ups (scroll over for my comments), then many of the other entries we received. If you submitted this week, please feel free to share your sketch on your own page. I believe artists can learn a lot from looking at each other’s process, so take a look. I would love to hear which ones you liked and why in the comments. 

Spring has sprung! After the second warmest winter on record, the weather is getting even warmer. The trees around New York City have burst into early blooms and the streets are filled with bare legs and sandals. Spring is my favorite season - it’s filled with possibilities. So get sketching - I can’t wait to see your ideas. 

- Eric Drooker

- Peter De Sève

- Kathy Osborn

- Peter de Sève

- William Joyce

To enter each week’s contest, please send sketches on this week’s theme. Use the submissions page or email jpegs to blowncovers@gmail.com. I prefer sketches to finished work and good ideas to good drawings. The deadline is Thursday at noon (NYC time). The themes on the Blown Covers website closely mirror what I suggest to the New Yorker artists I already work with. This blog and contest are informal and not affiliated with the magazine but I’m always on the lookout for ideas. Please keep submissions confidential in case they are selected for later publication. The winning sketch (according to my own subjective whims) will be posted here on Friday. 

Update: Winner and Runners-up are now posted here