Recently, my friends at EmDash asked if I could do some chalk art for one of their publications (um, of course!). Even better, it was for the University of Texas Alumni magazine, The Alcalde. She told me the art would serve as the headline for their annual Texas 10 feature, honoring the alumni's favorite professors of the year.
The Copy
Inspired by The Dead Poet's Society, the copy came to me as:
O Captain! My Captain!
There are some teachers you just don't forget.
We asked alumni to name the most inspiring professors on the forty acres.
Here are this year's Texas 10.
Step 1: Source a chalkboard
We rented an authentic classroom style chalkboard from a the Vuka Co-op and got to work.
Step 2: Sketch a layout or three
At 4x6 the board sounds large, but it's a challenge to get all those words in there, so I did some sketches to see what would work. They preferred the swoops and loops of the middle option. Easy enough...
Step 3: Draw, Erase, Rinse, Repeat
...did you notice the wardrobe shift there in the middle? Yes, it took me longer than anticipated.
Step 4: Hire amazing photographer
When all was done at the Vuka Co-op, they hauled that sucker back to the studio for the photo shoot with the esteemed professors. And here's the final result:
Photo by Matt Wright-SteelThe photography by Matt Wright-Steel is incredible, Vanity Fair worthy, if you ask me. Check them all out here: http://alcalde.texasexes.org/category/features/greatprofs/
Bonus points if you picked up on the music in the video being from Dead Poet's Society.
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I had Ruth Buskirk for biology!
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