Thoburn Design & Illustration

So recently, a fellow designer and I were discussing how we often feel like trained graphical monkeys. Mashing the buttons on our keyboards while the zoo keeper hands us endless edits, and slips a little food down the tube in the wall. The comment was made that all we needed were “monkey bars” over our doors. After that long, uncomfortable pause I asked . . . monkey bars? Which they clarified. What they actually meant to say was “cage bars”, but it was too late . . . my mind had already formed the picture you see here.

But it’s only Wednesday! This is my first ever Illustration Friday project. In case you’re wondering Illustration Friday is a weekly illustration challenge. A topic is posted every Friday, then participants have all week to come up with their own interpretation. I set aside some time this week for the challenge. This is a slight departure for me, I expanded my color pallet a bit and added more detail to the subject (in this case our fearful-saurus). For other samples of my illustrations check out my gallery.

Just wanted to send out a special thanks to CSSElite.com for featuring my site (and the others who picked it up). And thanks to you for stopping by and checking me out. Come back soon, as I’m just putting the finishing touches on a new illo. One I’m pretty happy with.

Cheers!

I sketched this idea out about seven years ago. When I finally got around to working on it, I discovered that the original sketch was lost somewhere between here and the other places I’ve moved since then. This is the “new and improved” version. I tweaked a few things and changed the armor, which was originally more Roman.

Do you know how to break in a book with gentleness and patience? I just wrapped up this assignment to (hopefully) protect a rather large book from the rigors of college life. The original is actually much larger with a lot more text. I pared this sample down to all the good parts!

Life magazine is doing a special tribute to Audrey Hepburn, “Remembering Audrey 15 years later”. It’s a hefty issue containing many of the photos of her that have appeared between it’s covers over the years. I completed my portrait of Audrey in Adobe Illustrator about three years ago. I thought I’d bring it back to the top in honor of her.

Welcome to my online portfolio. This being my first post I thought I’d give a little more background info than the short blurb to the right. I’m a freelance designer with a passion for illustration. It’s truly where my heart lies. I’ve been drawing since my parents caught me scribbling on the walls of our Florida home. My digital illustrations start out as pencil sketches that I scan in and basically trace over in Adobe Illustrator.
I’ve been a graphic designer for over 11 years starting in the commercial printing industry. I’ve lived and worked as a designer throughout central and north Florida, Tennessee and currently in northern Virginia as a senior designer for a national organization.
Samples of my work, both illustration and design, are available by clicking on “work” above. You can purchase framed or mounted art prints as well as t-shirts by selecting the links to the right under “shop”.
Keep checking back as I will be uploading new art (finished and unfinished) on a regular basis.

Thanks again for stopping by!