David Johnson, Dissident, Watercolor on Paper, 9 1/2 X 13"

Watercolor on Paper, 9 1/2 X 13"

While working at a daily Bay Area newspaper, Dave became one of several go-to in-house illustrators, producing a wide range of original illustrations for the local news. When editorial wanted to supplement their Monthly Book Club articles with illustrations rather than photos (of an author sitting at a table, stack of books in the foreground) Dave happily took on the assignment.

For these book club book illustrations Dave read the book in its entirety, came up with a concept, and painted the resulting composition. Each offers his unique pictorial take on the fictional world.

For these book club book illustrations Dave read the book in its entirety, came up with a concept, and painted the resulting composition. Each is a unique pictorial take on the fictional world.

For Dissident (the 2006 novel by Nell Freudenberger) Dave was particularly intrigued with a scene in which the main character - the titular dissident art teacher -  has his students draw a lobster in his art class. The result is a wonderful multipanel composition, exploring the way in which a subject might be seen , contextualized, and rendered in a multiplicity of ways.