Getting to the ‘Art of the Matter

Magazines are not all about words. If they were, they would be pretty dull, both figuratively and literally, since they would probably not be printed on shiny paper. So Kasey and I set off to learn about the art side of the magazine world. Our first art session was with John Montgomery, Taddle Creek art guy and Associate Art Director of Toronto Life. We already knew John from our introductory Taddle Creek bowling night when he was kind enough to buy a round of beer, so this session looked promising from the outset. We were not disappointed.

We met John at the St. Joseph Media offices at Queen and Richmond. After giving us a tour of the labyrinthine space, he talked about the role of an art director and the process a story goes through once it reaches the art department. Though it varies depending on the publication, art directors will often be involved with a story from its conception, working closely with editors to execute a shared vision (awww) of the final piece. If photos or illustrations are needed, John and his colleagues are responsible for commissioning artists or finding stock materials. They also execute the layout and design. John showed us how templates are used not only to make production easier but also to create consistent visual cues for the reader. I learned many fun layout terms, like “head”, “deck”, and “slug”. Although these words may evoke pulp murder mysteries (as in, “The cabin boy was found prostrate on the deck with a large hole on the back of his head where the slug had exited”), they have their own meanings in the art department of a magazine. The "head" is what the uninitiated might call the “title”; the “deck” is the bit underneath it, and the “slug” is… um, something else. I forget. An article might also include several “pull quotes”, which are so aptly named as to require no explanation.

We will be having another session on art shortly with Adrian Doran, which will round out our education in the art arena.