Robert Frank Tinney (born November 22, 1947) is an American contemporary illustrator[1] most well known for his monthly cover illustrations for the influential microcomputer publication Byte magazine[2][3] spanning over a decade. In so doing, Tinney became the first artist to create a broad yet consistent artistic concept for the computing world, combining a unique artistic style with visual metaphor to showcase emerging trends in personal computing technology.
Robert Frank Tinney was born on November 22, 1947, in Penn Yan, New York. He later moved with his family to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[4] There he attended Istrouma High School where his talent for art, and specifically illustration, became distinctly apparent. He later attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, now known as Louisiana Tech University.