As you saw in the rare photographs section of the web site, he used a photographer to capture the pose. While it is true that these magazine covers were a major part of his artistic efforts, he was first and foremost a commercial illustrator. This meant that companies of varying sizes would hire this very famous artist to illustrate their print advertisements. As the years passed by and as his fame grew, it was indeed prestigious to have Rockwell illustrate your ad. I personally modeled for companies like Pan American Airlines, Kraft Foods and Hallmark cards, to name just a few.
Every advertisement starts with an idea or a concept.
The company that Rockwell had contracted with would have their advertising agency explain the concept of their particular advertising campaign to Rockwell either by phone or mail. It was then up to Rockwell to convert their concepts and ideas into a visual medium. Imagine how difficult and challenging this must have been. So, after Rockwell conceptualized the concept in his own fertile mind, the process started. Any of you who have seen an original Rockwell painting knows the incredible detail that went into it.