Packaging illustration · 2015

The brief
Subplot Designs, Inc. and Petcurean Pet Nutrition, a Canadian pet food brand, commissioned artwork for SPIKE, a new line of dog treats. Subplot’s concept: dogs “photobombing” playful scenes, interacting with line drawings of the people around them.

The process
To find the models, I put out a call for dogs on my Instagram, so real dogs could take center stage. I painted each portrait in gouache on paper, capturing every dog’s personality: active, playful and full of attitude. I then drew the human scenes in pen and ink, creating a contrast between the painted dogs and their sketched surroundings.

The outcome
SPIKE launched in November 2015 and went on to win two international design awards:
🏆 Pentawards, Silver, Other Markets (2016)
🏆 Creativity Awards, Bronze, Packaging (2016)

Role: Illustrator · Client: Petcurean Pet Nutrition, via Subplot Designs, Inc. · Medium: Gouache on paper; pen and ink