Back in the late nineties, when times were a bit lean for many of us illustrators, I spent some of my "free" time beefing up my portfolio with new images - hoping to broaden my range a bit. Although I favored cartooning in college, I was probably best known professionally for my photo-realistic drawings.

In my effort to combine the two styles, I created this drawing of Earth wearing a gas mask. The line work is noticeably bolder and more whimsical, but I tried to keep the textures refined and life-like. I really liked this addition to my book, and I was able to convince a few clients to experiment with the new look - one example is the Ortega Salsa ad below -