Normal Rockwell never referred to himself as an artist, but as an illustrator

SHOOT: Fascinating. Something I'd like to do.

clipped from www.npr.org Who can forget the vulnerable childhood experience of going to the doctor? I remember sitting nervously on that white butcher paper, feeling like a particularly choice deli cut, and staring at a painting of a little boy pulling his pants down for a shot -- a foreboding image of what might be in store. That image, a Norman Rockwell illustration, stuck with me for years. And that's the nature of Rockwell's legacy: his work is everywhere, and has become an indelible part of American culture. So, as someone who looks at photos all day, imagine my shock when I saw a photograph of the exact doctor's office scene in that painting. The Runaway, 1958, is an example of Rockwell's photorealism. (Norman Rockwell Art Collection Trust) A new book, Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera, reveals Rockwell's use of photographs in his illustrative process.