As the art director of the influential counterculture magazine Ramparts, artist Dugald Stermer had already left an imprint on popular culture when he was asked to update the design of the Olympic medals for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

At their unveiling, Stermer recognized the historic reach of the project by saying he was delighted that "the medals will last a lot longer than I will."

Known for treasuring classic typography, he brought the same eye to the medallions. He mainly added depth and definition to the figure of Lady Victory that graces the front of the medal created in 1928 by Florentine artist Giuseppe Cassioli.

On the back, Stermer restored the original design, which had not been used since the 1968 Games. He added musculature to the scene of male athletes carrying the victor and made one other subtle yet significant change - he modified their facial features to reflect the ethnic diversity among Olympians.

Stermer, who also was a noted wildlife illustrator and chaired the illustration department at California College of the Arts, died Dec. 2 of respiratory and cardiac failure at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, said his daughter, Megan. He was 74.

"He was extremely honored to be designing the medals," his daughter said. "He said it was so meaningful from a personal standpoint."

From 1964 to 1970, Stermer was at the visual helm of Ramparts, giving the young San Francisco-based publication a stylized look that helped transform it into the leading magazine of the American left.

"The design and visual content were critical, an absolutely indispensable part of the magazine's success," according to Peter Richardson, who wrote a 2009 book on Ramparts.

To read the complete article, see:Dugald Stermer dies at 74; artist updated 1984 Olympic medals(articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/24/local/la-me-dugald-stermer-20111224)