Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, December 28, 2021: Christopher Peterson, an American illustrator, graphic designer (#1455)

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Artist of the Day, December 28, 2021: Christopher Peterson, an American illustrator, graphic designer (#1455)

Christopher Peterson’s (1957) inspiration comes from several sources. The first is from the subjects themselves. Using the traditional skills of drawing and painting, he can observe and express the emotion in any given subject. Technically, any subject can be a beautiful opportunity to use paint, color and value to express the multitude of effects that light, refection, shadow and cast shadow have on a subject.

His artistic inspiration comes from a tradition of American painting beginning with artists like N.C. and Andrew Wyeth, Charles Sheeler, Edward Hopper, John Singer Sargeant and Winslow Homer. His more contemporary influences are from artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, Chuck Close, Robert Cunningham, John Register and Richard Estes. He has always been fundamentally an illustrator though, and accordingly, has been influenced by such artists as Norman Rockwell, Milton Glaser, and James McMullan, but feels that it is important to be very discerning when choosing one’s artistic influences and prefers the traditional American realist painters.

He studied at the Art Institute of Boston, and then at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He began his career as an Illustrator in New York City in 1980, and immediately started working for The New York Times and Time magazine. He moved to the Bay area with his young family in 1984, and for 35 years was a steady fixture in the landscape of art and design, working in newspapers, advertising, exhibit design, teaching, and as a painter and illustrator.

Christopher's work is marked by great attention to detail, while maintaining an informal colorful and painterly feel. His creative approach is thorough and focused, sometimes reading an entire biography when starting a rock poster. Whenever possible, photographic reference must be his own. Drawing is always central to the work. Good figures and correct perspective are important while maintaining a spontaneous flair. These are the strengths that make Christopher one of the best freelance illustrators on the west coast.

Having been the president of the San Francisco Society of illustrators, he knows this business of illustration inside and out. He is a member of the Society of Illustrators, the US Air Force Art Program, ASIP, a leading organization in the fight for copyright protection and a royalties collection society for artists. He has taught illustration at both California College of Art and the Academy of Art College.

His rock posters have won major national recognition. He has created posters for Paul McCartney, Phish, The String Cheese Incident, Sting, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Taj Mahal and Gloria Estefan. There is a section on his work in the Art of Modern Rock (Chronicle books, 2004). His poster for John Lee Hooker won a Gold Medal in the San Fancisco Society of Illustrators, and won a place in the New York Society of Illustrators annual show and book- Illustrators 42 (Watson-Guptil, 1998). He has in fact created more than 80 posters for a variety of venues and bands. His original paintings hang in the halls of the Pentagon, as a part of the US Air Force Art program. His work has been published in the Los Angeles Society of illustrators annual book, and in Print magazine's regional design annual. In 1995, he won the bronze medal for advertising in the San Francisco society of illustrators show, in1996 he won gold, silver, and bronze medals in the San Francisco society of illustrators show.

In addition to Rock posters, Mr. Peterson does a wide variety of illustration, including storyboards, renderings, set design, murals and print.

Now he makes his home in Asheville, North Carolina, where the quality of life is good and artists can afford a home.

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