February 12, 2021
By Illustration Age Staff
Main Facts: The Secrecy, the Stakes, and the Subject
Every December, the release of TIME magazine’s Person of the Year issue grips the global media landscape, sparking intense speculation, political debate, and cultural analysis. Long before the physical copies hit newsstands or land in subscriber mailboxes, a parallel drama unfolds behind closed doors. The magazine’s editorial board commissions a select group of elite artists, illustrators, and photographers to quietly capture likenesses of various potential candidates.
The catch? Absolute, airtight secrecy.
The artists hired for the job often spend days or weeks rendering intricate portraits of multiple contenders without ever knowing which one will ultimately grace the iconic red-bordered cover. They remain in the dark just like the general public, only discovering the final editorial decision when the issue officially rolls out to the world.
For the historic 2020 Person of the Year issue—which honored then-President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris—TIME tapped Chicago-based satirical illustrator and portrait artist Jason Seiler. Marking his second time creating a TIME Person of the Year cover, Seiler delivered a striking, nuanced painting that encapsulated a tumultuous and transformative year in American politics.
In a deep-dive interview with Sam Gallant of Illustration Age, Seiler pulled back the curtain on this high-pressure assignment. He discussed the intricate process of rendering world leaders, balancing artistic integrity with deadline-driven news cycles, and—surprisingly—how his parallel passion for drumming keeps his creative rhythm sharp.
Chronology: From Secret Commissions to Global Recognition
Understanding how a TIME cover comes to life requires looking at a tightly orchestrated timeline that moves at the speed of modern journalism blended with the deliberate pace of traditional fine art.
Phase 1: The Brief and the Blindfold (Late Autumn)
Months before the official announcement, TIME’s art directors reach out to a trusted roster of visual artists. The communications are guarded by strict non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Artists are given a list of potential Person of the Year contenders. In years where elections or global movements dominate the news cycle, the pool of candidates is wide, ranging from political figures to frontline workers and activists.
Phase 2: The Execution (Weeks Prior to Publication)
Working from his Chicago studio, Seiler began the intensive process of sketching and painting multiple possibilities. Because the final election results and subsequent political dynamics of late 2020 were heavily scrutinized, capturing the precise mood of the incoming administration was paramount. Seiler relied on his signature style—a blend of hyper-realistic lighting and subtle caricature that emphasizes character and humanity over rigid photo-realism.
Phase 3: The Reveal (December)
When TIME officially announced Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the 2020 Persons of the Year, Seiler’s artwork was thrust into the global spotlight. The cover image immediately became a historic artifact of a fractured nation looking toward a transition of power.
Phase 4: Reflection and Decompression (February 2021)
Months after the frenzy of the launch, interviewers like Sam Gallant caught up with Seiler to document his journey. The February 12, 2021 interview provided a rare retrospective look at the physical toll, mental discipline, and artistic satisfaction of executing a commission seen by millions.
Supporting Data: The Anatomy of a TIME Cover and Jason Seiler’s Career
To fully appreciate the weight of Seiler’s achievement, it is helpful to examine the numbers and background context surrounding both TIME’s illustrative history and the artist himself.
- A Century of Portraits: Since its founding in 1923, TIME has frequently relied on illustration for its covers, particularly before photography dominated media in the latter half of the 20th century. Even in the digital age, the Person of the Year franchise frequently turns to illustration to evoke a timeless, painterly gravitas.
- Seiler’s Second Outing: This project was not Seiler’s first rodeo with TIME. He previously created the 2013 Person of the Year cover featuring Pope Francis, another monumental global figure whose likeness required a delicate balance of reverence and artistic interpretation.
- Commercial and Editorial Reach: Beyond TIME, Seiler’s client roster reads as a who’s who of global media and entertainment, including GQ, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Yorker, MAD Magazine, and major film studios like DreamWorks Animation, where he worked as a visual development artist on Boss Baby.
- The Medium: While digital painting tools (such as Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom Cintiq) form the backbone of modern commercial illustration, Seiler’s work retains the classical structure of traditional oil paintings—focusing heavily on anatomy, light sources, texture, and emotional resonance.
Official Responses and Industry Perspectives
The intersection of fine art, journalism, and politics always invites robust commentary from critics, peers, and the artists themselves.
The Artist’s Perspective: Navigating Pressure
In his conversation with Illustration Age, Seiler emphasized that the hardest part of the TIME assignment isn’t necessarily the technical execution, but the psychological weight of the secrecy. Knowing that your work might be scrapped at the last minute—or conversely, knowing it will be scrutinized by millions of politically charged readers—requires a resilient mindset.
Seiler noted that painting politicians presents a unique challenge:
"You aren’t just drawing a face; you’re drawing an idea, a symbol of an era, and public expectations all at once. People see what they want to see in political figures, so the art has to capture something authentic beneath the surface polish."
The Artistic Community’s Response
Within the illustration community, outlets like Illustration Age serve as vital chroniclers of commercial art’s shifting landscape. The inclusion of video interviews and deep-dive profiles highlights a growing hunger among aspiring artists to understand the business and mental stamina required to succeed at the highest levels of editorial illustration. Peers praised Seiler’s ability to inject warmth and depth into subjects who are often heavily guarded and media-trained.
Implications: The Enduring Power of Editorial Illustration in a Digital Age
The collaboration between TIME magazine and artists like Jason Seiler carries broader implications for the media landscape of the 21st century.
1. The Revival of Painterly Journalism
In an era dominated by instantaneous smartphone photography, high-definition video streams, and AI-generated imagery, hand-crafted illustration offers a vital counterweight. A painted portrait does not merely record a moment; it interprets it. By filtering reality through the human hand and mind, artists like Seiler provide viewers with an emotional entry point that raw photography sometimes misses.
2. The Mental Health of Commercial Creators
Interviews like the one conducted by Sam Gallant shed light on the unseen labor behind major cultural milestones. The physical strain of long hours hunched over digital tablets, combined with the mental stress of tight deadlines and high-stakes secrecy, highlights the rigorous demands placed on top-tier commercial artists. Seiler’s ability to maintain balance—often channeled through his love of drumming—serves as a case study in creative longevity and stress management.
3. Historical Preservation Through Art
As political climates continue to polarize, the visual artifacts we leave behind matter deeply. Decades from now, historians looking back at the turbulent transition of 2020 will not only examine policy papers and news broadcasts; they will look at TIME’s covers. Jason Seiler’s contribution ensures that this chapter of history is recorded not just with ink and pixels, but with the profound empathy and vision of a master portraitist.
To watch the full video interview between Sam Gallant and Jason Seiler, visit the original feature on Illustration Age.
