2014 Bolder Boulder Poster

As an illustrator, I feel it's important to explore different paths of my creativity. It's how I grow as an artist and what keeps me inspired. While I enjoy working in a variety of aesthetics, I must balance that desire with clients that commission me for the style they know I do. Every so often, I take a chance.

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Illustrated using the drawing app, Sketch.

The 2014 Bolder Boulder poster is a new visual style combining angular shapes inspired by Art Deco design with complex color gradients made possible by digital illustration tools.

The shapes of the runners were meticulously crafted with stark, straight lines, yet maintain the organic movement of their stride. Trees, of which I usually illustrate with silhouettes, are built with elaborate flowing shapes to give them depth and light. And the Flatirons, of which I've drawn over 40 times, take on a look I've not done before.

This is a style I'd been longing to explore for a while, and the Bolder Boulder poster was the perfect project for it. I used to utilize color gradients very sparingly but in this piece, nearly every shape has a noticeable gradient. Despite its freshness, the poster still falls comfortably into my body of work.

Last year, I tried something new by creating the 2013 race poster on my iPad. The tool of creation was different but the style was more typical of my portfolio.

I may not be running the race, but this year I broke a new record with the Bolder Boulder. I plan to create more artwork in this style and get better at it.

Purchase this poster here.

Dracula

Once again, I'm using Sketch Dailies as a vehicle for experimenting with different styles of illustration. The topic: Dracula.

The Process:

Illustrated on my iPad, I started with a rough sketch. Then I drew all the shapes in white over a black background. I finished it by applying color to only the white brushwork. The final result feels somewhat like scratchboard art.

The Cutest Valkyrie

In Norse mythology, the valkyrie decides which soldiers will die in battle. I decided to drop all the drama and bloodshed in order to illustrate a cute valkyrie. She's just having too much fun.

Drawn on my iPad with the Procreate app and a Jot Touch stylus.

Hey Arnold Background Designs

Every new location in Hey Arnold! had to be designed before the final background layouts were drawn with clean pencil lines. These designs were based on the story in the script, how characters were to interact in the location, and the mood of the scenes. When designing new places, I typically drew in a faster, rougher style than the finished background layouts.

Newly added backgrounds to the Hey Arnold! gallery:

See more Hey Arnold! Backgrounds.

Rapunzel in the Shower

When Rapunzel takes a shower, she often has... technical difficulties.

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Cartoony Tarzan

This drawing of Tarzan is far more cartoony than my usual cartoon work. It's fun to push the limits of the art form. I enjoyed mixing the bulbous body with limbs that have resemblance to human structure. I used that odd cartooning cheat where the arm is not seen behind the open mouth, but the drawing works like that.

Can you spot the mistake? The answer is below.

The mistake:

Tarzan has two right feet. I originally drew the extended leg as his right leg. When I redrew the connection to his left hip, I forgot to go back and fix the foot. Because this is just a drawing for fun, not publication, I'll leave it as is. Do you think he'll stumble upon landing?

Fozzie Movin' Right Along

From the original Muppet Movie.

Hipster Fozzie traded in his Studebaker for a Smart Car, but is still movin' right along in 1970s hippie style.

Disney's King Louie

Yesterday's daily topic on @Sketch_Dailies was "Monkey King", a warrior monkey from Chinese folklore. Warriors aren't my thing so I thought of another monkey king that I do like: King Louie from the Jungle Book. I sketched this based on two different original animation drawings by Frank Thomas, therefore it's not a pose directly out of the film.

Beetlejuice Illustration

Another fun drawing done for @Sketch_Dailies on Twitter.

Self Portrait

I'm sure that most of the time I was working on this, I had a concentrated, stern expression. Drawn on my iPad for practice and fun.

40 Flatirons of Boulder, Colorado

Boulder's famous landmark is its Flatirons rock formations. Their geography rises above the town inspiring locals and visitors with their beauty.

Being that I live here, it's the most common thing I get commissioned to illustrate. I've drawn them so many times, I no longer require photo reference. Below are all of the Flatirons I've created professionally over the years. These can be found on travel posters, murals, websites, event posters, comics, food packaging, and t-shirts. Most are in my common poster style but I've also experimented with different aesthetics.

40 Flatirons:

Many of these Flatirons can be found in my Boulder travel posters.

Art Makes Friends With Phones

Since launching the redesign and rebranding of my site last month, I've seen an increase in mobile browsing.

The template for my new site is so mobile friendly that my artwork shines on the little screen in your hand. Every aspect of the site has been optimized for mobile browsing, from the galleries to the poster shop.

Go ahead, load up SteveLowtwait.com on your phone and tap around.