This was a relatively straightforward technical illustration, applying similar techniques I used for the Beatles instruments piece I drew a couple months ago. I don’t often do representative stuff like this, but it’s fun to occasionally try to figure out how to depict something literal with a handful of lines, fills and effects.

I actually own a working reproduction of this TV; during the early 2000s, a company called Telstar built them to order in a variety of styles, but with modern electronics. When I ordered my set, I had it customized with a gold bezel/frame, instead of the traditional olive green they usually shipped with back in the day. 

The dials and controls on my repro TV at home are simpler than the original sets from the 1950s – I’m presuming this is because not as many knobs and switches are needed for modern TVs (remember having to fiddle with the vertical hold knob, for example?). So for this illustration, my goal was to capture the essence of my TV while also incorporating “classic” controls more commonly associated with the original sets that sold in the 50s.

If you’re interested in learning more about the history of the Predicta, here’s an informative article I found. What a wonderful world tomorrow used to be!