Number 73 of 150

This artist uses a wheelchair.

The client was pushing the scope of the project on this one. Each of these were supposed to be one character isolated on white, some with a prop. I was willing to allow a little more leeway for this batch featuring the visibly disabled because their mobility devices are integral to their lives and become almost an extension of themselves. But there’s a limit. This image reached this limit because the client initially wanted not just what you see below, but also an easel and canvas. That would make it almost a full scene, which wasn’t what we bid. (To be fair, I don’t think the client intended to push any limits. It just happened.) I had to send that objection through my art rep and she straightened it out for me without ruffling any feathers. Janet’s great at that.

An East Asian man sits in a manual wheelchair with a paint brush and palette.  He is wearing a blue painter's shirt, khaki pants, and slip-on sneakers.  He is gesturing with the hand holding the brush as he speaks.

Number 67 of 150

A blind boy in raingear walking with the aid of a white cane.

This image had originally called for the boy to have a guide dog, because a kid and a dog are inherently cute together. But when looking for reference images of kids with guide dogs, I learned that blind kids don’t actually get guide dogs. You generally have to be 18 for a guide animal. I relayed this to the client and they changed the specs. So, I guess I sort of took away this boy’s dog and gave him a cane instead. If it helps, later in this batch there will be a man with a guide dog instead. Not as cute, but more accurate.

A cartoon illustration of a blind Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander boy walking with a white cane.  He is in raingear, wearing a yellow raincoat and red rubber boots.  He also is wearing jeans.

Number 65 of 150

A skateboarder with a prosthetic arm. One of those 3D printed ones in the fun colors. The client chose the colors.

I particularly like how the kid’s t-shirt print came out. This was changed in the final phase with the client instructing me to create a geometric print for their shirt.

The long hair was included both to help show a little more movement and to make the character’s gender a little more ambiguous.

A cartoon illustration of a child riding a skateboard.  The child is gender ambiguous and has a prosthetic arm. They are wearing a helmet, t-shirt, loose jeans, and sneakers.  They have medium-length, brown hair