Decaturish Magazine Feature
I’m honored to have been selected to exhibit at the Drawn Together illustration art show, hosted by The Book Bird and the Avondale Arts Alliance! My pieces were even featured in Decaturish magazine!
Won Prairie Love Knits Fabric Design Contest
I’m honored to have won the Prairie Love Knits Winter 2024 Fabric Design Contest!
You can now pre-order my pattern on different types of fabric on their site.
Featured By AIGA
I’m blown away that AIGA featured my “Apathy=Surrender” Get Out The Vote poster design on LinkedIn!
Mine was front-and-center and got first placement. I’m honored to take part in this important initiative.
My Art Is At Bed Bath & Beyond®
I’m so happy to share that my art is now available at Bed Bath & Beyond®! Just search for my name and you’ll find me.
New Art @ Wayfair!
I’m delighted to announce that my art is now available at Wayfair! You can search for my name: “Carrie Cantwell” and you’ll find tons of wall art. Yeehaw!
Creative Studio Collective Feature
I’m so thrilled that Creative Studio Collective featured me and my art!
UPPERCASE Magazine Pattern Journal Feature
I’m so honored to have been featured in UPPERCASE Magazine’s Pattern Journal!
Friendly Foxes Dress
My Friendly Foxes pattern was licensed by Ida Loves Dresses for this adorable kid’s dress!
TeePublic Editor’s Pick!
I’m so excited that my Reach for the Stars art made the highly coveted Editor’s Picks list on TeePublic!
I’m selling products!
I’m delighted to announce that I’m now selling my own products through my new Etsy shop and in a local boutique in Atlanta, GA! I adore dogs and cats, and I also know dog and cat illustrations are big sellers all year round, so I’m focusing on fun and and punny dog and cat art. I’ve created stickers, magnets, t-shirts, and more.
There’s nothing that says “I believe in my art sales potential” better than selling my own products. I license my art to companies large and small, but by producing and selling my own art on products, I’m also conveying the message to companies I pitch that I back my own products so much so that I print and stock products with my art on them. I’m willing to put my own money where my mouth is, so-to-speak ;)
I recently came up with this funny piece called Reach for the Stars, and let me tell you, it’s been selling like hotcakes in my Etsy shop! I ordered button magnets with this design and they’ve been flying out the door, so yay!
I also designed this silly Put it Behind You set which is perfect for the front and back of a t-shirt.
I loved the cat butt part so much that I also ordered custom magnets. I must say, I really love how they turned out. I feel pretty confident these will be big sellers for me.
Collab with Jacob Heath
Check out my latest project with talented fashion designer, Jacob Heath!
His fashion brand used my Art Deco Eye pattern for a runway dress and photo shoot.
He even embellished it with beautiful beads. I couldn’t be more proud!
Carrie Cantwell x G&Silk
My Snakes + Flowers design has been licensed with G&Silk! I love seeing my art come alive on this gorgeous silk scarf.
Yes, I’m using Procreate!
I’ve been not only playing with texture, I’ve been having fun with puns!
Most of you who know me are aware that I’m typically a vector girl. Maybe it’s because I started out as a graphic designer; when you’re designing logos for brands, it just makes sense to stick with programs like Adobe Illustrator. But lately I’ve been venturing more into the world of texture through Procreate. Some of my favorite new pieces are silly puns like this Borgi one which is full of yummy texture, rough edges and shadows. I think somewhere in the back of my mind, I’ve been railing against the ever-increasing prevalence of ai-generated art, so I’m trying to really show my hand-done touches more and more. And for right now at least, Procreate is the best way for me to do that.
Because I’m doing more traditional drawing on my iPad using Procreate, I’m doing a lot less anchor point pushing and pulling and more loose scribbling. That means my hand is often resting more on the iPad as I draw, as you can see in this picture.
Fun Fact About Me > > > I’m a LEFTIE!
I don’t know for sure, maybe it’s just me, but I’m completely unable to draw or write without dragging the side of my left hand on whatever surface I’m using as my canvas. When I write birthday cards, I have to either use a very non-streaky ball-point pen, or I have to write them backwards. I prefer more inky pens that kinda leak and take a second to dry, but if I’m not careful, the ink smudges all over the paper and makes a huge mess, and then my hand looks like I smeared it with ink. That’s not the look I want, obviously.
There are ways on both the iPad and in the Procreate app itself for you to turn off hand-pressure sensors, so you don’t accidentally smudge what you’re drawing, but I think those need more re-tooling for us lefties. I’ve tried everything, and even with my settings just so, I still end up with weird, accidental stray marks. That’s why I use these awesome drawing gloves every time I create. They not only keep me from smudging the art or making weird extra marks, they also help my hand slide along the screen a bit more smoothly. I use the Paperlike screen protector which makes drawing feel more natural, since it gives the slick glass screen more of a paper-like tooth, but then I lose a bit of that smooth motion since I rest my hand on the screen (hello, leftie). So again, the gloves really help keep things moving along and feeling natural.
Wanna watch my process?
Check out this video showing my start to finish, from my initial sketch to the final art.
As you can see (if my thoughts are coming through in this time-lapse replay) I make a lot of decisions as I go, even after my initial sketch, and sometimes what I end up with isn’t exactly what I’d planned on. Regardless, I still think my Borgi turned out pretty cute. Hopefully s/he makes people laugh. Maybe I’ll sell it as stickers soon… I’ve been thinking about opening an Etsy shop!
Time will tell how much further down this texture rabbit hole I go. I may get sick of it and revert back to my smooth vector-y art, but for now, I’m having fun! Until next time, my friends! Thanks for reading :)
Princess Awesome Feature!
Check out my feature on the Princess Awesome website! I’m overjoyed that they chose to feature me and my art. And please be sure to visit their cool online store, they’re a wonderful company that supports girls in STEM, plus their clothes are super cute!
SkillShare Email Feature
SkillShare featured my new class: Lifestyle Mockups to Sell Art + Get Design Work in their Discover This Week email blast! And I’m at the top of the email!
Creatsy Collab
Check out my latest collaboration with Creatsy, who I partnered with for my new SkillShare class: Lifestyle Mockups To Sell Art & Get Design Work.
Check out my partner feature on the Creatsy website! I’m so proud to partner with them.
