Updating the Online Illustration Portfolio

This evening, I tackled updating my online illustration portfolio – it’s the section of my portfolio that’s the biggest and beefiest, because I. Love. To. Draw.

I just kept finding all of these hidden drawing gems – old projects for apparel clients like Kohl’s, doodles in the sketchbook that make me super happy, painting commissions… And I didn’t even put everything in there – I’ve got a couple of big projects that need a little more preparation before I can add them into the portfolio. Here’s some highlights of what I found this evening!

Our Comic Illustration for OC Weekly

Comic Illustration for OC Weekly by Steph Calvert of Hearts and Laserbeams

A couple of summers ago, Gustavo Arellano from OC Weekly asked me to participate in their all comics summer issue. He knew I was up for a challenge, so he gave me a tricky spot in the magazine to work with, a little L shaped area that works it’s way around a large ad on the page.

It was the perfect spot for the final drop of Knott’s Berry Farm’s log ride, if you ask me.

Hand Drawn Chalkboard Typography

Hand Drawn Chalkboard Sign Lettering by Steph Calvert of Hearts and Laserbeams

This chalkboard sign for Living Faith Church took hours to put together from start to finish, but I love how it turned out. It was my first foray into chalkboard lettering, and the chalk markers I used for the semi-permanent design were really easy to work with.

Free Coloring Book by Steph Calvert of Hearts and Laserbeams

I also created a kids coloring book for Living Faith – you can download it here.

Apparel Illustration and TShirt Design Samples

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

The above two groups are some cute graphics I came up with for Kohl’s department store – super happy, funny, quirky, and cartoony girls and junior graphics are definitely my wheelhouse.

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

They’re not cartoons, but texturey styles that take a lot of Photoshop work are a really fun challenge to work on.

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

And scribbled illustrations with the fattest marker you can find are a blast to work on as well! The trick is to not take the drawing too seriously when you’re working with markers – if Photoshop’s coming into play later on, and it almost always is for apparel illustration work, you can always make tweaks to your design there.

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

Want to know my secret for textury scribbled pieces like these? I do all my bits and pieces of drawing using black crayon – I don’t spend too much time coming up with an overall composition, I just draw tons and tons of bits and pieces, and then I have fun collaging them together and coloring it in a bright fun palette.

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

Again – if you’re looking for a really nice texture to your drawings, try black crayon for the entire thing, and then color it up in Photoshop.

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

I’m a big fan of playing with puzzling together tons of different hand drawn fonts.

 

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

To this day, these are some of my favorite ridiculous funny tshirt illustrations. Especially Pop Star.

Apparel Art and Graphic Design by Hearts and Laserbeams

Ready to start your own illustration project?

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Freelance Illustrator Steph Calvert • Steph Calvert Art | https://stephcalvertart.com

Freelance illustrator Steph Calvert is an award-winning artist with 24 years of experience working as a creative professional. She is based in McDonough, Georgia, just south of Atlanta.

Steph Calvert has expertise as a children’s book illustrator. She is an expert surface pattern designer for art licensing and creates line drawings for publishing and product design. Steph has years of additional expertise as a mural artist, creating original art, and logo design for small businesses. She is currently querying literary agents with her first author/illustrator book projects.

National SCBWI Conference, 2023
Illustration Summer Camp – The Highlights Foundation, 2021
Make Art That Sells, 2017
BFA in Computer Art – SCAD, 1999


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