Recently I was hired by SwimKids USA to help them re-brand with a new mascot. They had a cartoon shark they had been using but wanted to refresh it. Here’s a few rough concept sketches I submitted along with the final design:
Shark Mascot
Display Illustrations for Hasbro Little Big Bites
Hasbro just released a new line of toys called Little Big Bites and they hired me to illustrate the retail display and packaging inserts. They are really cute little collectibles and it was a ton of fun to work on. YouTube videos don’t display properly on my website so I’ll just give you a text link to a fifteen-second commercial to help show how they work.
Here’s some of the artwork I did for the retail display:
I also did some illustrations for the paper inserts that come with each toy, including instructional diagrams and the “collect them all” artwork:
Little Big Bites are currently available at Target, Walmart, Amazon, and several other retailers. Last night I visited a nearby Target and snapped some pics:
It’s always a delight to see my work on display. It was a super fun project and I’m grateful to Hasbro for the opportunity. You can find the toys at big box retailers or order from Amazon.
Children’s Book: The Fish Who Wouldn’t Swim
One of my regular clients is Goldfish Swim Schools. Several years ago I designed a mascot for them, Bubbles the Goldfish. Earlier this year they asked me to write and illustrate a board book featuring Bubbles that they could sell in their retail locations. They wanted a story that would both encourage kids to swim also promote the school. This project was a couple of “firsts” for me:
1. While I’ve illustrated books in the past, this was the first time I was also the author.
2. This was also my first time doing the bulk of a client project on a tablet. The sketches and final art were all done on an iPad Pro using Procreate. I only had to use Photoshop to lay out the text and do some final touch-ups.
I’m told the book is only available at their physical locations and can’t be ordered online, but the client has given me permission to show a few pages:
Animal Character Designs
Dr. John Trent is a best-selling author who runs a Christian ministry called Strong Families. On their website they offer a free personality test, the results of which sort people into four broad personality type. Each one is represented by a different animal (Otters, Lions, Golden Retrievers, and Beavers). Different versions of the animals have been used in the past, including classy black-and-white line art versions for their website and illustrated versions for a children’s book called The Treasure Tree. I was hired by Strong Families to design an updated cartoon versions of each of the four animals.
NEW! Print of one of my most popular webcomics
“The Great Exchange” is one of my most popular and widely shared webcomics. Several people have asked for prints so I decided to pull the trigger and get some made. I just picked them up from the printer and I’m very happy with how they turned out!
I’ll be selling them this weekend at MSP Comicon in St. Paul, MN. If you’re in the area stop on by and say “Hi!”. If you can’t make it, the prints are also available in my store.
Actual size: 8″w x 19″h (20cm x 48cm). Printed on 80lb stock. Matte finish with just a hint of gloss. Shipped in a sturdy cardboard tube.
If you’d like to frame it, I recommend this frame on Amazon.
Order PrintDownload My Updated Portfolio
It’s been a couple of years so I’ve updated my PDF portfolio with a some new samples. It contains fifteen pages of illustration, character design, toy design concepts, webcomics, and misc. drawings. Download a copy to keep on file, take to a meeting, or email to a client or colleague.
Download PDF Portfolio