Tag: adobe illustrator

Vector People

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I just finished some work for Positive Promotions.

They had detailed sketches (created in-house) that they wanted me to finish off into vector graphics for an exercise booklet they were doing. They were good sketches. I think, with very little finishing, they could have just used the sketches in the final project. The problem was that the sketches were line drawings, which was not the style they wanted. So, that’s where I came in.

I used their sketches, took the color palette from their samples, and redrew them in the art style that they wanted. Not my usual work, but I think they came out well. And, more importantly, the client was happy.

Created using Adobe Illustrator.

Caterpillar Vector

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Here’s another vector illustration for children’s magician, Jimmy Joza. It will be printed on an 18-inch silk. It goes with the previous butterfly illustration and will be a prop in his act. He originally had another caterpillar image he was going to use for this, but he encountered some problems with the size and vibrance of that image. So, he decided to come back and commission me to draw a whole new caterpillar to use instead.

Because the butterfly was drawn in the style of the original caterpillar, this new caterpillar is also drawn in the same style. So as not to step on the previous artist’s intellectual property, this one uses an entirely different pose, a bit of a different face, different expression, different back spots, and a different approach to the construction of the body.

It was a really fun one to work on.

A vector drawing of a cute, cartoon caterpillar eating leaves. The caterpillar is positioned in a 3/4 side view holding a leaf in each hand. The leaves each have a bite mark and the caterpillar's cheek is puffed as if chewing. There is a blue swirly background framed with a pink border. A line of text at the bottom notes that the image is Copyright © 2024 Jimmy Joza. All rights reserved.

Butterfly Vector

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I recently completed a little illustration for children’s magician, Jimmy Joza. This butterfly was drawn in Adobe Illustrator. (Yes, I can work with vectors!) He plans to have it printed on a 36-inch silk and use as a prop in his act. He has an existing caterpillar image he plans to print on another silk, and he wanted me to match the art style of that one so that it was clear the two images were the same character. He also had a sample butterfly with rainbow colors that he wanted me to use as a color scheme for the wings. Here’s what I came up with!

A vector drawing of a cute, cartoon butterfly with rainbow-colored wings. The butterfly is centered, facing the viewer, with its wings spread out symmetrically behind it. There is a blue swirly background framed with a pink border. A line of text at the bottom notes that the image is Copyright © 2024 Jimmy Joza. All rights reserved.

Customer Service Cartoons

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I just finished a series of 12 illustrations for Positive Promotions. These were not children’s illustrations, as is my typical genre, but very corporate-targeted cartoons for a customer service department. I think they may go with an established training program or something, but I didn’t get any details on their exact purpose.

If you’ve followed me at all, you’ll notice that these pieces are not anything close to my typical art style. Instead, these were meant to match some previous artwork that the company had been using for years. I can typically match other art styles, as long as they’re cartoonish rather than realistic.

I didn’t even draw these in my trusty Adobe Photoshop, but instead used Adobe Illustrator. The project wasn’t very technical. Just simple shapes and paths with fixed-width lines. Still, it was a good opportunity to brush up on my Illustrator skills which I haven’t had much call to use lately.

I’m sharing these samples to show that I can match other cartoon art styles, and that I can work in Adobe Illustrator. Just in case that’s something you’re looking for. As always, I am accepting commissions. Contact me for more information.

A woman sits at a desk in an office labeled Ranch Supplies Customer Service. Her desk has a sign advising people to put yourselves in your customers' shoes. A man stands near her in very fancy cowboy boots and says, "I'm feeling really uncomfortable in some of our customers' shoes!"
A woman works a desk in an office. She is frantically typing as someone yells at her in her headset. There are signs on her desk and wall around her saying, "Danger! Stress Zone," "Help! I'm Stressed," "Stressed to the Max," "I'm really stressed!!", and "Stressed? Yes, I am." Behind her, a man says to her, "Lisa, I'm concerned. You seem to be showing signs of stress."
An office labeled Customer Service has two co-workers sitting at adjacent desks. They are both working on knitting a sweater with two neck holes that they're currently wearing together. The caption below reads, "We believe we serve customers best by being part of a close-knit organization."
Two co-workers stand near a wall labeled "Customer Service Employee of the Month" which displays several portraits of workers with star-shaped heads. One of the workers standing in front of the wall has a star-shaped head and says, "So many stars..." The other worker, with a normal human head, says, "Our manager says there's room for lots more stars!"
There are two treadmills set up among typical office cubicles with people running on them. There are signs on the machines saying, "We go the extra mile," and "In step with customers." Behind the runners, another worker is sitting in a desk chair lifting a dumbbell. Behind them, two people discuss them. One says, "Our customer service department is really taking shape!"
In front of a row of office cubicles, two people dressed as rock stars seem prepared to perform. One is sitting at a drumset. The other is holding a bass guitar and offering a standard guitar to a woman dressed as a drab office worker. The non-rocker has her hands up in a negating gesture and says, "When I told everyone, 'We Rock,' this isnt' what I had in mind!"
In an office labeled, "Customer Service," a man hold up three photos showing three different smiles. He says to his co-worker, "I always have a smile in my voice, but I'm not sure which smile to use."
In an office labeled, "Customer Service," one woman watches another wearing a tutu tie on toe shoes. The woman half-dressed as a ballet dancer says, "These will keep me on my toes all day!"
A man dressed in office casual clothing sits next to Santa. There is a line of children waiting their turn and an elf overseeing them. The man says to Santa, "All I really want is good customer service!"
A woman at a desk in a cubicle has a number of awards displayed. She has an Oscar, an Olympic Gold Medal, a Nobel Prize, a Grammy, and a trophy labeled Customer Service Good Attitude Award. She is gesturing to the Customer Service one and telling a co-worker, " This is what I'm most proud of!"
Several people sit or stand around an office conference table. A projection screen is pulled down with bullet points for Exceed Expectations, Customer Experience, and Results-Driven. A bee hovers in the air with a pointer. The bee says, "Today we will talk about some of the most important BUZZ words in customer service!"
A woman is watering a large potted plant sitting on the floor next to her desk. Her cubicle has lots of healthy-looking green plants. A coworker is walking by. She tells him, "I treat my plants like I treat my customers--with plenty of care and respect."

Ogerita Christmas Card

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My Dad wanted a Christmas card based on the Ogerita trolley car I just finished.  So, I Christmased-up the trolley for him.  The card’s here on my Zazzle store, in case anyone else would like one.

Ogerita

Ogerita

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Here’s something completely different.

This is the Ogerita, a gas electric trolley car that ran on the Missouri and Kansas Interurban Railway, known as the Strang Line, from 1906-1908.  The railroad was owned by William B. Strang Jr., a land developer in Johnson County, KS.  The car was named after his niece.

This image was created in Adobe Illustrator using historic black and white photos as references.  (Thank you to the Overland Park Historical Society for those reference images.)  Period news clippings mention at the railroad painted their trolleys vermilion, so that’s the color I used.  I also consulted David Holland, an amateur railroad historian and my father, for additional references and explanations of how it all looked.  (Thanks, Dad.  I finally drew a train car like you’ve been wanting me to do for years.)

A print can be purchased here.

Ogerita
Edit:  I had previously stated the car was named after his wife.  It was actually named after his niece.

Katie’s Monkey

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Here’s the finished image.  I was playing with different ways to do cartoony jungle tree trunks and branches.  smiley 15

Available as a print from Zazzle.
Download and print rights available from iStock.

Monkey for iStock

Katie’s Monkey

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Here’s a work in progress for a personal project I’m working on. My daughter wanted a poster of a monkey swinging by its tail from a tree with a banana. I’ve just about got the monkey done, next to tackle the scenery.  I’m working in Illustrator because I’m not sure how big she’s going to want me to print it.  Vector graphics are infinitely scaleable, unlike raster art.  Monkey for Katie

Assorted Drinks

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Some drinks drawn for Hart McLeod for a Kazakh textbook.
Assorted Drinks

Growing Up

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Thinking about how my oldest is 9 going on 10.  She’s growing up so fast.  I’ll have to have “the talk” with her this year, I think.
Growing Up