Product Illustration

Purnell has its roots in wind energy and developed this hoodie specifically for wind turbine tower maintenance folks. This one is a mix of my “technical” style and gouache: pencil, ink pen, gouache.

The first stamped-tin toy robots were produced in Japan starting shortly after the end of the Second World War. There has been a waxing-waning resurgence of these metal toy collectibles since the 1980s. Digital.

A gouache and pen rendition of a fun and handy little waxed cotton daypack.

This is the first illustration I did for Frost River when it was still operating under the name “American Outdoorsman” in 2002. The logo patches were changed, and the strap and waxed canvas colors were tweaked and upgraded a few times but they’re basically the same packs. Gouache and pen, with later digital additions.

As part of my involvement with Lifespan Closets, my sweetie and I got a bunch of shelving for our mud room: it works fantastic! Digital.

The chair is from an old Duluth Pack catalog (all the art of which is under my copyright). The Frost River luggage replaced the original Duluth Pack book bags sitting on and hanging from the chair. Gouache and some digital.

Gouache and pen. This reminded me of the old days with Portable Products (the original source of Duluth Trading Co.) when I drew tons of tool-organization bags. But they were lesser affairs made of inexpensive nylon and manufactured in China. This thing is made with waxed canvas and manufactured right here in Duluth, Minnesota.

Done for the original owners, the tough dude is wearing shop/cheater/sun glasses. From back when such things were truly innovative. Gouache.

The sweater is what’s for sale. Gouache and colored pencil.

Painted in gouache — a water-based, opaque medium I favor — with colored pencil and pen ink thrown in for extra detail.

Lots of “work clothes” are really just everyday clothes, but this jacket is the real, high-visibility deal: an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) class 3 hi-viz raincoat. I put here because it’s yellow and attention-getting. Digital.

At first glance (or even second) you might not recognize these everyday objects. They are three-dimensional cross-sections of door parts. Think of an old-style door: there’s usually a frame going around the outside and one or more panels on the inside. These frame-y parts are called either stiles (the pieces going up and down) or rails (the pieces going across); the panels are called panels. Digital illustrations done for the good folks at IHS Doors.

This was illustrated in the early days of Frost River. Frost River’s founder, Steve Emerson, thought wool plaid would be an interesting switch from all the waxed canvas and leather products, and since most of the “shell bag” customers were women buying shoulderbag/purses anyhow, it might just take off. Gouache, pen and colored pencil.

Seems like a shirt that Q would’ve developed for James Bond. You can also see this in the context of its page layout: Duluth Trading Co, Polo Shirt Spread.

This is an old Duluth Pack image painted in watercolor, then drawn over with ink and colored pencil. It was one of my earliest color commercial illustrations. I cringe a bit when I see it up close but since all illustration gets reproduced at around 60% (that’s ideal: the smaller size enhances the detail) it looked fine in print.

Uber Leather made these for Frost River a few years back. I think I was in a hurry, but now I rather enjoy the sketchy quality. It reminds me of the old J. Peterman illustrations. But neater. Gouache.

These waxed canvas and leather mitts do great duty for snow shoveling or bike commuting in winter. The reinforced palms are key. Gouache, colored pencil, pen.

These are done in a line-art-over-painting style I originally developed back in 1990 for Portable Products, the forerunner of Duluth Trading Company (see Portable Products Bucket Boss). Mostly they’re included for the fun texture detail in the top third.

I love the jaunty pose, I like the texture; I think it really looks like leather. Painted in gouache.

Tell any straight, adolescent boy that he’s going to grow up to draw underwear: prurient visions of Victoria’s Secret models will spring to mind. Cruel when the reality is so different.

Such an easy plaid! painted in gouache with colored pencil added for fabric texture.

Looks better with the captions but the client placed those. This is what I sent. Colored pencil.

Gouache, pen and digital. It’s fun to put an iPhone and credit cards in such an old-timely-looking thing.

Gouache: painted for Frost River.

One thing about plaids is that you don’t show as much detail because the plaid is already so busy. In this shirt, there’s more detail in the sleeves, pockets and placket.

Gouache and colored pencil, and somewhat “technical” looking. This vest was designed for hot summer jobsites, thus the arrows indicating venting possibilities.

They call this a “wool cap” but I know better. Having grown up around jackpine savages all my life, I recognize a tossle cap when I see one. Gouache.

Line art on top of color. Media: Photoshop. Illustrated for Duluth Trading Co.

Pen & ink look but drawn exclusively in Photoshop.

Gouache and pen. Fat bikes are the thing. Canvas and leather bike bags should be the thing, and maybe they will be.

When Steve Schlecht acquired Duluth Trading Company, he soon transformed it into a clothing powerhouse. This product was one of the early successes: very popular, very functional and really quite tough. Not my favorite illustration but it’s included because if you live in the United States, you’ve probably seen this illustration on a billboard or a TV ad.

I love coffee (I roast my own beans) so illustrating this old school, professional coffee mill was a treat. One of many illustrations done for an antique show promoter’s marketing materials. Gouache painting.

Priagis Northwoods Company in Ely, Minnesota, often has me illustrate their in-house clothing line. This canoeing tableau was either the first one or early in the first batch, and it’s still being used online and in their catalog. Gouache.

Ah, plaid. I’ve done far more plaid than I care to recall. Definitely challenging. This one was easy because the plaid was course rather than fine. Line-art-over-gouache.

Frost river introduced a collection of black waxed-canvas and leather products with antiqued hardware. This is that version of their popular Field Satchel. Gouache with digital retouching.

The bugs make this sort of fun. “O.E.” stands for “outdoor educator”. Gouache, ink pen and a bunch of digital editing.

Gouache, pen & ink and Photoshop. Please admire the detail.

Quite the departure from waxed canvas and leather. Gouache and digital.

Just a business-like illustration of hands; the wipe is almost incidental. Gouache on paper with ink on acetate overlay (the old school way of doing this).

These Classic and durable Nalgene bottles are familiar to every camper over the age of at least 28. Gouache (though the logos were added in Photoshop).

Leather suitcases: a bit more distinctive than today’ ubiquitous, homogeneous, Cordura-and-plastic roller luggage. One of many illustrations Done for an antique show promoter’s promotional materials. Gouache painting.

Work gloves drawn in the technical style for Duluth Trading Co. Colored pencil.

Gouache: painted for Frost River.

Purnell wanted to hint at the features of this tank top without going overboard on the detail. Pencil sketch, scanned, digitaly repainted.

The two weights (the therefore shades) of canvas hump up the visual interest factor. On a personal note, I like using brass post closures. Gouache and ink pen.

It’s a stack of belts, illustrated for Duluth Trading Company. Digital.

I thought I should add at least one tool since I’ve done so many tools in the past. This is a classic Swiss-made Felco garden shear. I drew it long ago, in a now very old-fashioned way: it was photographed; the actual, printed photo was traced and painted in watercolor on paper. Acetate was placed on top and the shears were outlined and detailed with black lines in ink. In some places the ink was scraped away; then both layers were scanned and only then combined in Photoshop 3.0. What a pain.

These technical illustrations are just about the features, like the front pockets that are deeper, reinforced, and have bigger openings for access to gloved hands. Colored pencil.

A lovely camping-kitchen-tool organizer, stuffed with Duluth’s own Epicurean brand utensils. Gouache and pen.

Okay enough plaid already.

This is a shirt designed by Piragis Northwoods Company for warm-weather canoeing. It was loaded with features, needing an extra detail illustration to show them all. Gouache painting.

Gemstar had a couple cases in development but no working models and they wanted a near-photographic representation for their catalog. They sent the engineering plans and photos of similar products; this is what I came up. Digital.

Lineart-over-digital-painting. This guy is trying to see if the crotch gusset really works, and it does (I had to model these. No, I don’t actually look like this but with the magic of Photoshop, anyone can).

Gouache: Arborwear pants painted for Frost River.

Line-art-over-painting, basic but workmanlike. Note that the pants are in motion, not just standing there, static-like.

Specifically, this is the “Super-Lite Portage Hiker” (made by Chota) sold by the Piragis Northwoods Company located in Ely, Minnesota. It was designed to get wet in lakes, rivers and wet trails in the BWCAW and then drain dry. Gouache.

As much as any other product, scene or object I’ve drawn, one could say this Bucket Boss, illustrated in 1981, started my career. I could do a better job today but it set a lot of wheels in motion. Thanks, Bob. Watercolor on paper with ink on acetate overlay.