Courtney Dicmas
A cover illustration of dogs doing yoga with their owners.
Many of Isthmus’ cover illustrators are graduates of the graphic design program at Madison College. This month, our cover illustrator, Courtney Dicmas, is a faculty instructor at the esteemed program.
“Courtney emailed me in May asking how to get an Isthmus cover illustration, and I was honestly surprised," says Tommy Washbush, Isthmus art director. "I’ve worked with a ton of Madison College graduates before, but never an instructor! She’s taught many of our cover illustrators, including Camille Davis, Corey Wimmer, Jake Bujnowski, Meghan Griffin, Emily Maryniak, Kristin Shafel, and Kay Reynolds, and referred to Isthmus cover illustrations as 'a beloved illustration tradition here in Madison,' which really warmed my heart.”
Courtney's cover illustration taps into two highly recommended strategies for thriving in winter and, for that matter, any other season: restorative body work and hanging out with dogs. As a love letter to the north side, two of the people in the image are her neighbors and their pups. Courtney points out that the “dashing gent” in red sweatpants is her husband, Tom, with their dog, Charlie. She used color pencil and gouache for the artwork and Photoshop to collage the hand-painted elements together.
Courtney is also a picture book author/illustrator. Her books include The Great Googly Moogly and A New School for Charlie. See more of her work at courtneydicmas.com.
Courtney Dicmas
A page of Courtney Dicmas's initial concepts.
Courtney starts her illustration thought process by writing and doodling things that come to mind while thinking of the theme.
Courtney Dicmas
Two alternative cover sketches by Courtney Dicmas.
Two alternate cover concepts by Courtney — an outdoors skiing scene and a hot tub session.
