After completing my associate’s degree in Visual Communication I feel more confident adding graphic design for print and web to my growing list of skills. My professors said that my drawing is a huge plus, and that I should probably lead with that. Moving forward I want to get into branding and intellectual property development for promotions and advertising. Printing and small scale publishing are also interests of mine so hopefully with some of the work I’m putting out there, those kind of opportunities can open up. Personally, to any ID professionals out there I would recommend going back to night school if possible and mixing it up a bit with what graphic design/visual communications. It is very fun, informative and satisfying.
I got my start in the business sweeping floors and making RTV rubber molds in a traditional model shop. This was the late 90s early 2000s, so we were using standard model shop tools like the lathe and mill. It was a lot more than what I had learned in school. Eventually I progressed further from sketch to model, so I can make pretty much anything you could want. I will say that the models I create are a little bit above breadboard type models in function and form. I have worked on tooling patterns and figure sculpting in wax and clay. Currently I'm using Solidworks 2020, but I have experience building models with Freeform as well. I have working knowledge of multiple 3D modeling programs to the point that I can communicate with the modeling vendor (if needed) and convey the revisions using the visual language of the specific program. Depending on the clients modeling needs, I can help advise or recommend the type of program you will want to use and who can do it for you. I have contacts with domestic modeling vendors as well as overseas vendors. I can even handle that side of the business for you, getting the models made and approved by the appropriate parties and getting them off to tooling. It all depends on what the client is looking for and where their modeling budget is set. I’ve been using a small table top style laser cutter for creating die lines for printed items like 3D puzzles and accessories.
One of my favorite functions of this work is the preliminary development that goes into making toy products. I love figuring out the most efficient and functional way of constructing the toy. It’s like a puzzle, but you make the pieces that go into it. I'm very good at breaking down components and proving the results in a form that can be communicated to the manufacturing vendor for prelim costing. I absolutely love taking things apart and learning from existing manufacturing techniques. I genuinely enjoy working and learning from the engineer and always finding a way to add a new feather to my cap. Premiums are special because of the efficiency for which they have to be designed for. The molding must be simple in complexity and, efficient in time. Often when creating something new it is important to understand and convey to all parties involved, just what is being proposed as well as how it can best be manufactured. Many times a concept is sold that has no basis in reality as to how it could be produced. I have the ability to take the creative concept and work with the costing engineers domestically or abroad to nail down exactly what the product will be and how it will be produced. I always sketch with manufacturing in mind so that whether the item is injection molded or vacuum formed the sketches and specifications will remain consistent throughout the process. At this stage I’m already thinking about molded detail, paper yield, and decorations. I have a lot of experience with pad printing and book masks so I know exactly what can and can’t be decorated. For the most part, I try to get as much as I can out of the simplest construction of the mold as possible. It makes no sense designing something that you know you probably won’t be able to afford, and in this type of business, development time is extremely important.
I have created items for some of the most popular licensers in the world. Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm are all special childhood brands to me, so I have a great deal of respect for their characters and the memories they help make in our childhood. I have the ability to recreate any license in orthographic view as well as follow the existing license style guide to ensure maximum compliance. I study the license assets carefully to understand the structure and proportion of the subject so that I can recreate it in any possible way. I believe in going through the “paces” with a character or vehicle sketching it out beforehand to get it just right. I'm very experienced with working with other team members to facilitate the licenser approval process. I’m also experienced in the communication with factory/tooling vendor to keep the project moving. I have the ability to understand and anticipate what the licenser is going to be looking for, so that I can streamline the process as much as possible. I also know what reference materials are needed to start a project whether it be 2D visuals or 3D modeling files. I know how to take what little is given from the licenser and get the needed materials to produce the product.
I’ve also had the privilege to create retail toys. Mainly preschool die-cast character based vehicles that followed an existing style as well as generating original styled characters. Many times companies are looking to expand their existing lines and they need new items that still "fit" in with their family of products. I am very familiar with retail toy construction practices as well as the many different ways of decoration that can be used. I try to get as much out of the toy and given molding constrains as possible. Die-cast is very different from injection molded ABS or PVC. The tolerances are different so this has to be understood up front. Retail toys are also blessed with the opportunity of great packaging art that can be created to enhance the play value. The packaging that I have done have mostly been blister cards, and some window boxes. My illustration is good enough that I’m able to do all the mechanical art for the label/stickers as well as instructions and cardboard inserts.
Experienced in developing multiple different scale die-cast items. I'm very fluent with what the modeling vendor is going to need to recreate a scale representation of a licensed vehicle whether it's conducting photo shoots, acquiring 3D reference for scanning, or researching the histories and production examples to ensure that the scale model is accurately represented. I understand the difference between die-cast and injection molded plastic parts to ensure that "what can be molded" is understood and expressed between all parties. You would be amazed as to all that goes into creating a replica of some brand’s product in smaller scale.
Thankfully art and illustration are great passions of mine. My initial training was traditional design school curriculum, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to have jobs that allowed me to branch out into digital. I have always enjoyed “coloring” my drawings. It often depends on the particular subject and the time available for the work. I enjoy pulling out the markers and gouache, and I love getting the inks out for line drawings. I have been told that I have a style like what was coming out of Disney of the 50s. I was supposed to be ashamed of that. “Nope, not a bit.” Lately I have been putting out renderings of concepts that have to capture the imaginations of clients and buyers alike in one setting. These usually take a few days depending on the complexity of the toy visually and what the play pattern is. Sketching is still important and I do it by hand or on the Cintiq. I think it really matters what the end goal/use is. Big Power Point presentations like to get digital renderings that are very colorful and exciting. Photoshop is very helpful in this. Lately, I’ve been mixing Ai. with .PSD to get even tighter renderings and taking out the “hand drawn” look I so much enjoy. These are some examples of my color concept renderings for products I have pitched and designed as well as examples of other subjects that capture my focus.
Here are examples of my sketching process as it is applied to break down products to their basic components. It is very important to be able to see how the toy is going to be constructed upfront so that the most cost effective and efficient version can be considered. I always work in black and white to get the process going staying very loose at first then defining it with hard line for clarity. More often than not, there is a huge cross section of different people who’s different interests are needing to be addressed so black and white images work well for supplemental paperwork that my colleagues will need. This quick style of sketching allows me to put together ideas that will be exciting enough for sales and marketing people as well as clear and precise enough for manufacturing interests. I even will do quick and dirty orthographic sketches just to make sure everything is sized and fit correctly.
Here are examples of my private sketches that take up most of my spare time. I’m not going to lie, I’ve always wanted to get into story illustration and writing graphic novels. Time and opportunity have always been the determining factors as to what I’m able to get involved with, and so far toys and promotions have been my main occupation. The following are some drawing I want to explore purely for the love for the medium and the subject matter. {Context} The art of all the great Filipino comics artists of the 70s and 80s has always been a great passion of mine. Artists Alfredo P. Alcala, Ernie Chan, Rudy Nebres and Val Mayerik working for Marvel and DC were so very inspirational to me growing up. Titles like Savage Sword of Conan, Kull, The Monster of Frankenstein, The Tomb of Dracula and House of Mystery were my Marvel bread and butter. There were American artists like John Buscema, Bernie Wrightson, Armando Gil, Marc Silvestri, Walt Simonson, John Byrne, Rick Leonardi, Jim Lee, Todd “The God” McFarlane, Bart Sears and Arthur Adams that I obsessively collected and studied. My British books all came from 2000AD as Judge Dredd, Slaine, Rogue Trooper, Meltdown Man, and Sam Slade Robo-Hunter. My Japanese influences would be Yukito Kishiro on Battle Angel Alita, Masamune Shiro for Dominion, Appleseed, and Ghost in the Shell. Comics and storytelling are what got me to pick up the pencil to draw in the first place. This would later turn into becoming a professional designer leading me here. I’ve been consuming a lot of classic horror and science fiction lately so that has been my focus as of late. Writers like Steven King, H.P. Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard are getting more of my attention. Of the characters that are copyrights and trademarks of Disney, Warner Bros, Dark Horse and the like, I claim no ownership of the characters and I make no money off of this art. This is all purely “fan-art” for me and I don’t sell original art, or make copies of any kind for anyone or any company. The work that you see here comes solely out of the love I have for the characters and the creators who have been so incredibly inspirational to me growing up in a small steel town in Ohio. Seriously, if some creator were to contact me about any of these drawings, I would probably fall over dead in shock.
Thanks for listening
