Imperialist Game Article
Winning People's Attention With Politically Charged Illustrations
Discipline
Editorial Illustration
Tools
Procreate, Adobe Photoshop
Objective
I created this cover and accompanying spot illustrations for John Cassidy’s New York Times article, “What Imperialist Game Is Donald Trump Playing with Greenland?” . The goal was to create compelling illustrations, enticing people to read the economic insights behind the hot-topic headline .
Process
For the cover, I used perspective, leading lines, and colour to lead viewers’ eyes towards the focal point — Donald Trump represented a King chess piece, symbolizing his power and playing into the imperialist game metaphor introduced in the article headline. The board arrangement reflects the economic relations discussed in the article, with red and blue colours chosen to due to their political and patriotic associations.
I used photographic textures to represent the varying objects and materials featured in the illustrations, creating a tactile appearance that adds visual interest. Juxtaposing serious subject matter with comical game imagery reinforces the absurdity of the situation being discussed. Altogether, the cover and spot illustrations make the article more approachable and engaging, appealing to readers who might not normally engage with financial content.
