How This Artist Defined the Look of SNL For Decades

Portrait of Sissy Spacek.

Decades ago, during a poker game at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, artist Edie Baskin had a chance encounter that would alter the trajectory of her career. That night, she met Lorne Michaels, the Canadian-American producer responsible for one of the world’s most beloved comedy shows: Saturday Night Live (SNL). Over time, Baskin and Michaels became friends and, once they both landed in New York, he eventually invited her to create the first title sequence for SNL ahead of its premiere in 1975.

The rest, as they say, is history. Throughout her tenure as SNL’s resident photographer from 1975 to 2000, Baskin produced an unforgettable assortment of hand-colored portraits, each depicting stars from the show. The artist would first snap images in black-and-white, later hand-tinting them with pastels, markers, pencils, and oil paint. The resulting compositions are mischievous yet charming, deftly combining playful, illustrative details with bold color palettes. Every week, these vibrant photographs of cast members and guests appeared on television sets across the country, ultimately defining SNL’s visual culture for decades.

Now, some 25 years after she departed from SNL, Baskin is offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her creative process through Live From My Studio. The book, which was published in October 2025 by ACC Art Books, gathers more than 200 pages of original art that Baskin created during her time at SNL. Found within are portraits of Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Rob Reiner, Sissy Spacek, Lily Tomlin, and the Grateful Dead, among countless others.

“My style became the style of the show,” Baskin tells My Modern Met. “Lorne always gave me a lot of freedom, and that allowed me to really develop my own voice. I hope people feel the fun I was having at the time.”

My Modern Met had the chance to speak with Edie Baskin about her artistic practice, her tenure as resident photographer at SNL, and the recent release of Live From My Studio. Baskin’s book is currently available for purchase via Bookshop.org and ACC Art Books’s website.

‘Edie Baskin: Live From My Studio,’ published by ACC Art Books (2025).

‘Wall of Laughter.’

What first compelled you about photography as your primary artistic medium?

My father had a Rolleiflex and watching him take photographs made me want to start taking pictures myself. He even turned our bathroom—our only bathroom—into a darkroom for me.

Portraits of Richard Pryor.

Portrait of Paul Simon.

What originally inspired you to hand-tint your photographs with materials like pastels, markers, pencils, and oil paint?

I had a couple of friends who were doing that kind of work, and I really liked what they were making. So, I decided to give it a try myself.

Portrait of Dan Aykroyd.

In 1975, you joined Saturday Night Live as its resident photographer. How did you end up at the show?

I met Lorne [Michaels] at a poker game at the Chateau Marmont. We became friends, and the first time he hired me was to work on a Lily Tomlin special. Later, while I was living in New York, Lorne called to tell me he was moving there to start a new show.

Around that time, I had driven cross-country taking black-and-white photographs, including a series of images of Las Vegas at night. When I returned to New York, I printed the photos and hand-colored them. I didn’t only photograph Las Vegas—I also photographed Cadillac Ranch—but the Las Vegas images really stood out to me.

I invited Lorne to my studio to see the painted photographs, and he especially liked the Las Vegas night images. He asked if I could do something similar for New York City, and that became the first title sequence for Saturday Night Live.

Portrait of Lily Tomlin.

How did you develop your personal style while at SNL, and how did your work define the show as a whole?

My style became the style of the show. Lorne always gave me a lot of freedom, and that allowed me to really develop my own voice.

Portrait of Steve Martin.

What are some of your favorite memories from SNL? Do you have any photographs you’re particularly proud of from your time there?

Some of my favorite memories are simply laughing backstage with the cast when we were all just hanging out. As for photographs, there are several I’m especially proud of from my book, including Steve Martin, Sissy Spacek, Madeline Kahn, Rodney Dangerfield, Ruth Gordon, and the Rolling Stones.

‘Edie Baskin: Live From My Studio,’ published by ACC Art Books (2025).

What was the process of creating Live From My Studio?

I was approached by someone about doing a book, and at first, I didn’t really want to do it. I’m not even sure why—I don’t remember exactly what held me back.

Once I committed, I spent hours, days, weeks, and months going through all my hand-painted work. Just organizing everything was a massive undertaking. We worked intensely on organizing and scanning the images. None of my work had been scanned before—everything was analog—so the scanning alone was a huge job.