About Sam
Growing up in a rural farming town as the son of a diesel mechanic, I didn’t exactly fit the mold. My brother, grandfather, and uncles all worked in construction or mechanic shops, while I spent my time drawing, watching cartoons, and reading comics. In our small town, I had never met—or even heard of—a professional artist, so at 18 I left home to attend a college 2,000 miles away as a pre-med major simply because it seemed mildly interesting.
I had earned a small art scholarship in high school, and after two years of changing majors and searching for direction, I wandered into an unfamiliar building on campus and saw chalk figure drawings hanging on the walls. I ran to the office and asked what they taught there. The answer changed my life: “We teach artists how to earn a living.” That was the moment I discovered illustration, and I knew instantly it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
I stayed in school another four years to study illustration. Learning was never easy for me—my mind races, and sitting still has always been a challenge—but I immersed myself in the fundamentals of art while also exploring 3D programs and Adobe software during the early days of digital illustration.
Seven years after graduating, I joined Ubisoft’s marketing art department, where I truly developed the illustration techniques I use today. It was a demanding creative crucible that pushed me to my limits, but in those years I learned photography, photo manipulation, 3D sculpting, speed painting, conceptual design, and matte painting. I also worked across a wide range of styles, from the hyper-realism of Tom Clancy titles to the energetic, cartoony worlds of TMNT and Raving Rabbids.
Eventually my time in video games came to an end. After nearly a decade of painting contemporary soldiers and military imagery, I was ready for new subjects and greater variety. That opportunity arrived in Las Vegas, where I joined a start-up slot machine game studio in 2013. The company has since grown into the world’s largest and most successful production studio for slot machine games, where I continue to work as a Senior Concept Artist creating large-scale key art and visual experiences for games enjoyed around the world.
As my skills have grown, I’ve found myself drawn back to my first loves—cartoons, comics, and timeless storytelling. Today, my greatest joy is creating large, vibrant paintings of beloved characters and worlds that resonate with people across generations. I hope my work dazzles the eyes, lightens the heart, and gives collectors a meaningful piece of the stories they love to take home.
What Does a Typical Year Look Like?
One of the nice things about being an in-house artist is having a regular paycheck. My company is doing well, I enjoy the work, and there is usually another project waiting for me.
Unfortunately, no one has explained this to the freelance side of my brain.
Whenever I finish a freelance commission without another one immediately waiting in the wings, I become convinced that something has gone terribly wrong and I may never work again. Then another commission arrives, I realize how ridiculous I was, and everything is fine.
For about three days.
The truth is, I simply love making pictures and don't particularly want to stop. And I like making all kinds of them.
In 2025, I completed nine large fine-art paintings and began six more that I finished the following year. These are the elaborate paintings you’ll find in my Fine Art section, including images based on Harry Potter, Superman, Disney, and Wicked. I also painted eight science-fiction and fantasy book covers, created eight cards for Wizards of the Coast, and designed a logo for a trucking company—because apparently artistic consistency is overrated.
Every assignment begins with the same problem: What am I going to paint?
Sometimes a client has a specific character or scenario in mind. Other times my entire creative brief might be one or two words. From there, I develop an idea and pitch it with sketches—sometimes simple line drawings, sometimes more developed studies with value and color.
Occasionally I nail the composition immediately. Other times it takes several rounds of sketches before everyone looks at one and says, “That's it.”
And what about those terrifying stretches when I don't have a freelance contract?
I draw.
In 2025, I created three additional illustrations simply for myself. Personal work gives me a chance to experiment with subjects and techniques that don't always fit into commercial assignments. I also attended ten life-drawing sessions and continued my habit of carrying drawing supplies with me so I can sketch and caricature unsuspecting members of the general public.
More recently, I've added something new to the mix: working live.
During 2025, I traveled to events at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, where I signed artwork, met collectors, and drew for customers. I also worked my first live event as a caricaturist, which combined two things I love—drawing people and making fun of them while they're sitting directly in front of me.
At the early age of 13, Sam was already drawing superheroes. It was neat foreshadowing for an incredible career to come, working directly with incredbile franchises like Marvel Worldwide, Inc. and DC Studios.