In this episode of Behind the Pencil, I sit down with Bill to talk about my journey as an artist, my work creating Marvel sketch cards for Upper Deck, my love of Venom, and the process behind creating detailed artwork on such a small canvas.
My path into the industry definitely wasn’t a straight line.
Art was a big part of my life from an early age, but after studying art and design and eventually building a career outside of illustration, I stepped away from drawing for nearly a decade. When I finally picked up the pencil again, it wasn’t with some grand plan to become a professional artist. It was simply a creative outlet—something I enjoyed doing again.
I started sharing my work online, found a community of other artists and collectors, and then one unexpected message from Upper Deck changed things.
That opportunity brought me into the world of official Marvel sketch cards, where I’ve had the chance to contribute artwork to releases including Marvel Premiere, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Masterpieces and more.
We spend a lot of the conversation talking about that journey—rediscovering art after years away, sharing my work on Instagram, getting noticed by Upper Deck, and figuring out the world of professional sketch cards as I went.
And, of course, we have to talk about VENOM.
If you’ve followed my work, you probably already know I have a thing for Venom. We get into what makes the character so much fun for me to paint, how my fascination with Venomizing other Marvel characters developed, and the creative freedom that comes with a character that can be as chaotic, exaggerated and unpredictable as the symbiote itself.
We also spend quite a bit of time getting into my actual art process.
We talk acrylics, layering, glazing, color theory, limited palettes, brushes, airbrushing, mixed media, and the challenge of trying to put the level of detail I want into a canvas that measures just 2.5″ x 3.5″.
That leads us into one of the biggest challenges I’ve encountered as a sketch card artist: balancing time and quality. When you have dozens of cards to complete for a set, how do you become more efficient without sacrificing the quality or style that makes the artwork yours?
It’s something I’m constantly working on. My process continues to evolve, and a big part of that comes from studying how other artists work, experimenting with different techniques, and simply putting in the hours. We also talk about working on larger-format artwork, comic covers, live drawing, commissions, and where I’d like to take my art next.
One of my favorite parts of the conversation comes near the end, when we talk about talent versus practice.
I’ve always believed that getting better at art comes down to doing the work. Put in the time, keep creating, and look at your own progress. Don’t measure where you are against somebody else’s work—compare it to where you were a year ago, five years ago, or even a few months ago.
That idea probably sums up my own journey better than anything else.
I walked away from art for nearly ten years. I came back to it because I wanted a creative outlet, with no real expectation of where it might lead. Eventually, that journey brought me to creating artwork for Marvel.
Whether you collect Marvel cards, love original sketch cards, create art yourself, or you’re simply interested in the person and process behind the artwork, I hope you enjoy the conversation and getting a little more insight into my work and my journey as an artist.
