Jeff Spence
A designer, illustrator, creative marketing manager, and project developer with more than 27 years of experience developing original artwork, products, brands, and commercial design. My work connects creative thinking with the practical decisions needed to bring a project into production and present it to its audience.
I develop concepts, test approaches, and carry ideas through design and implementation. Materials, setup, time, handling, and repeatability inform the work alongside its visual direction. My experience also includes leading teams, building client relationships, and coordinating design, sales, and production.
The projects below span commercial marketing, apparel, educational products, publishing, original character development, and traditional illustration.
My complete resume is available HERE.
DIMENSIONAL PRINTING & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
At Cache River Mill & MetalWorks, I helped build and develop the company's creative production operation, expanding its capabilities from laser engraving into dimensional printing, custom products, and large-format production.
My responsibilities include creative direction, product development, material testing, prototyping, production planning, workflow development, and staff training. I also developed and refined a dimensional mosaic production system that is now operated by a dedicated full-time production artist.
These projects combine original illustration, printed texture and relief, precision laser contour cutting, and practical production methods to create finished commercial products.
TRADITIONAL ILLUSTRATION
Original artwork created using pen and ink, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and oil painting.
The collection includes animal portraits, character studies, and narrative illustrations, demonstrating drawing, composition, color, and traditional rendering techniques.
This work reflects the foundational illustration skills that continue to inform my commercial design, character development, and product artwork.
COMMERCIAL DESIGN & MARKETING DEVELOPMENT
Commercial design and marketing projects for Drum-Line, Julian & Sons, and Glove Crafters, including catalogs, advertising, websites, product presentations, and sales materials.
At Drummond/Drum-Line, I directed creative development and marketing implementation, establishing coordinated visual materials that supported product presentation, brand consistency, and sales.
These examples demonstrate my experience developing commercial artwork and managing creative projects across multiple formats and marketing applications.
APPAREL DESIGN & BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Original apparel graphics and brand development created through my work with Precision Screen Printing & Embroidery, including Arena Bum Clothing and Big Stick Clothing Company.
The collection also includes Arkansas-themed designs developed for Rock City Outfitters.
These projects demonstrate original illustration, brand identity development, graphic design, and the preparation of artwork for commercial apparel production.
VECTOR ILLUSTRATION & STOCK ART
A selection from hundreds of original vector illustrations created as a Getty Images/iStock contributor.
The collection includes individual illustrations and coordinated artwork sets covering animals, food, sports, holidays, and seasonal subjects.
These examples demonstrate detailed vector construction, original concept development, consistent illustration styles, and artwork created for a broad range of commercial applications. iStockPhoto.
LOGOS, ICONS & VISUAL IDENTITY
Original logos, icons, and identity graphics developed for businesses, products, and individual projects.
My approach combines concept development, illustration, typography, and practical application to create recognizable visual identities.
Each design is developed with attention to its intended use, from small-format applications to larger marketing and promotional materials.
EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Clue Buddy Crew & Number Buddy Crew
Melissa Spence and I co-created Clue Buddy Crew and Number Buddy Crew, original character-based learning systems developed to support early reading and mathematics.
The characters use recognizable names, appearances, and actions as visual clues, giving children memorable references for learning concepts.
My contributions include original character illustration, visual system development, branding, instructional graphics, posters, cards, digital resources, and marketing materials.
These projects demonstrate the development of original intellectual property into coordinated educational product lines.
CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHORSHIP & ILLUSTRATION
I co-authored and illustrated Mark the Aardvark: Party in the Park, developing original characters, narrative illustrations, and cover artwork.
The project required consistent character design, expressive poses, visual storytelling, and composition across a complete illustrated book.
These examples demonstrate my ability to develop original characters and carry a unified visual style through a published work. Mark the Aardvark: Party in the Park
ORIGINAL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: ARMY HANDY CAN
Army Handy Can is an original collection of illustrated characters built around a shared visual concept.
I developed the cast using a consistent four-fingered hand structure, while establishing distinct personalities through individual shapes, expressions, costumes, and character roles.
These examples demonstrate original character creation, visual consistency, and the development of a coordinated cast within an imagined world.
SKILLS
• Creative project development and management—from concept through testing, prototyping, and production
• Art direction, brand development, and marketing implementation
• Adobe Creative Cloud, including Illustrator and Photoshop
• Original vector illustration and traditional illustration techniques
• Character design and development for storytelling, educational products, and commercial use
• Graphic design for catalogs, packaging, sales materials, and apparel
• Conceptual sketching to explore ideas and resolve design problems
• Original woodcarving, sculpture, and physical product development
• Large-format UV printing and dimensional product development
• Laser engraving and contour cutting, using Epilog Job Manager
• Production workflow development, quality standards, and staff training
• Print preparation and output using Mimaki RasterLink 7
Jeff Spence
Vilonia, Arkansas
501-472-5088
jspenceart@gmail.com