About:
Owned and operated by artist David E. Wilkinson, The Drawing Board Art Studio is a
comprehensive graphic arts resource conveniently located in Southern New Jersey only minutes from Philadelphia and a short distance from New York City. With over seventeen years in the business specializing in the Toy and Motion Picture / Entertainment industries, I have built a uniquely diverse portfolio and offer a wide range of creative services which include illustration, original character & caricature development, effective and innovative solutions for packaging, brand identity, motion picture key art design, advertising design and product graphics / design. My experience, artistic versatility and in-depth knowledge of the industries I serve make me a valuable creative partner to my clients.
History:
After graduating with Honors from The Hussian School of Art of Philadelphia in 1994, where I studied Graphic Design and majored in Illustration, I began working as a designer with a small advertising & design agency located in Berlin, NJ. Over the next two years I would gain valuable industry experience working closely with both clients and printers while building a strong design portfolio to accompany my Illustration portfolio.
I first entered the toy industry when I accepted a position with TYCO Toys in 1996. Working as a member of TYCO's "Product Concepts and Design Group", I would have my first opportunity to demonstrate my creative versatility on a global scale as I was given the freedom to design packaging, develop brand identity, paint and build models, provide illustration, develop original characters and more for all of the company's various brands. Some of these brands include Matchbox, Tyco R/C, Electric Racing, Magna Doodle, View Master, Sesame Street as well as Dolls, Games and Activities.
The "Product Concepts and Design Group" was dissolved in 1997 shortly after TYCO was purchased by Mattel Inc. Although I remained with the company, my role become more focused where I became a member of the Matchbox team exclusively. Even though my duties had not changed, as Project Designer with Mattel I was allowed
to branch out even further as my creative vision gave birth to a variety of original product concepts that would allow my knowledge of the industry to grow beyond just product graphics and packaging. I would quickly learn the ins and outs of tooling, molding and production while working closely with both sculptors and engineering to bring my ideas to life. It was my work and original thinking on these lines that would win me a number of company awards, including Mattel’s “Standing Ovation” award for my work on Matchbox Street Chess where I not only envisioned the line but also designed & managed the product, designed package comps and personally illustrated twelve original chess characters.
Although I was happy in his new position with Mattel and the unique creative freedom that I was allowed to explore within
the Matchbox Brand, I remained uncertain about the company’s long-term plans for what remained of TYCO in New Jersey. In 1999, fearing that my portfolio would be filled with nothing but toys and three inch cars, I began finding freelance work to do in my spare time, branching into a variety of other "non-toy" areas including my first work in the motion picture / home video industry. This is what would become the foundation of The Drawing Board and in 2000 the company was registered and officially founded. I would spend much of the next four years working full time in the toy Industry by day and freelancing in other industries at night building a uniquely diverse portfolio of both design and illustration work.
In 2004, I decided to leave the Mattel and devote myself to “The Drawing Board” full time. I felt that my talent, versatility and eight and a half years of experience with TYCO & Mattel gave me a lot to offer other companies both in and out of the toy industry. In the seven short years since, I have developed an impressive client list that includes Hasbro, Learning Curve / RC2, TOMY, Fisher Price, Mattel, Warner Bros, MGM, Anchor Bay Entertainment / Starz, View Askew Productions along with actress Vanessa Williams and actors Jon Cryer & William Katt,
Philosophy:
Facilitating effective communication and delivering over-the-top customer service for my clients is the cornerstone of my beliefs. Because I worked on “the other side of the fence” for so long, I understand and strive for the high quality and service your company deserves. It is my experience that bigger is not always better when it comes to your creative needs and customer service. By remaining a relatively small studio, I am better able to provide my clients with one on one personal attention, quick turn around, and quality creative solutions while delivering a better return on investment than some of my larger competitors. I pride myself on not only being the most creatively versatile, but the most cost-efficient art and marketing studio that not only works within my client’s budgets, but well below them.
