Call me "butter" 'cause I'm on a roll

I have had the great good fortune to work for more than a few art directors who have the strength to put up with my shennanagins, keep hiring me back and challenging me to do my best work. I maintain that an artist cannot go beyond the trust and confidence shown by his client and real faith can get you to do stuff that you didn't even realize you were capable of. Such is the relationship I have with Gregg Runberg of Pensions & Investments who routinely faces his editors armed only with the flimsy scribblings I try and pass off as sketches.

This year's "Money Managers" issue is my fourth for Gregg who helps me to discover resources I didn't know I had. This, coupled with the fact that I'm naturally trying to best the cover I did last year and things can get interesting. (Stay tuned for next time when I really test my luck on the 13th consecutive annual cover I do for the amazing and infinitely lovable Mary Zisk at Strategic Management). But, for now Our annual look at who manages Institutional assest begins right here:

With these covers looming in the past, I am urged forward to say the same thing but, make it different and keep it interesting.

Once the statutory period of fear, loathing and procrastination has passed, I scratch out a variety of options in the firm belief that at least one will have turned into something legible and meaningful when the dust clears.

The editors are not very visual -- they like the general shape of a few but can't make up their minds based on the squiggles. Can you develop three of them a little more, and we'll choose from them? Numbers 1, 4 and 9.

This sequence represents what took place between Wednesday, 8:47 pm and Thursday, 9:53 am. After blocking in the colors with solid tints, the strokes were converted to a shadow/highlight line that would appear to be a groove cut into the surface. The final touches were subtle gradients and leatherette patterns applied to individual shape.