Portfolio

My work ranges from basic illustration to
concept art, cartooning and story-telling.
I always look for ways in my work
to stand out
and touch my audience.
Jacob Below

Max Derrat Tribute

Pastel Fan Art

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj8orMezFWVcoN-4S545Wtw. He is best known for making his videos to spread awareness about autism/Asperger's syndrome. On his channel he also talks about the media that he's most passionate about (namely video games), he has a series called "Silver Lining" where he directs attention to acts of kindness that can be seen in this otherwise chaotic world, and also runs a weekly show called "Differently Wired" which is centered around topics pertaining to autism and invites people from across the world who have autism to come and interact and ask questions. He's good at bringing a bright (as well as humorous) attitude to the table whenever he's online, as well as articulating what being on the Autism Spectrum is like, so that the world can know more about it and grow to be more accepting of it.
Thus, my symbolism in this picture is not to promote graffiti and vandalism, but the advocate bringing more color, joy, and togetherness to this dreary world.

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First Cartoon of the 2020 Decade

Black-and-white cartoon

Christmas from Denville, New Jersey

Pastel Holiday Image

Jupiter

Scratchboard Art

"I had gazed upon him while unfinished..."

Black-and-white Scratchboard

The Jovian System

Scratchboard Art

Bubbles in the Park

Acrylic Painting

The Franciscan Oaks Retirment Home

Landscape Painting

The Grass is Always Greener...

Philosophical Cartoon

The Road to Oz

Watercolor Illustration

Lady Liberty's Future

Watercolor Landscape

Alan Menken

Colored Caricature

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Downtown Denville

Landscape Acrylic Painting

Jack Rabbit at Sunset

Landscape Acrylic Painting

Archway in Utah

Landscape Acrylic Painting

Hohenzohler Castle

Landscape

Grandma and Grandma

Acrylic Pianting of my Grandparents

Metroplitain

Cityscape Art

Does God Ever Get Discouraged?

Philisophical Cartoon

Patrick Page

Caricature

Rowan Atkinson

Caricature

Audrey Hepburn

Caricature

Angela Lansbury

Caricature

Bill Nye

Caricature

R.I.P. Stephen Hillenburg

Caricature

St. Peter's Basilica

Brooklyn Bridge

Acrylic Painting

Communtiy Lake

Watercolor Illustration

Köln, Germany (Night)

Acrylic Painting

A Night on the Canals of Venice

Digital Painting

Aurora Borealis

Watercolor Painting

Trevi Fountains

Acrylics Architecture Painting

The Parrot and the Teapot

Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Tuileries Garden in Paris

Yosemite National Park

The Concept of Infinity

Kinder Geeks Story

Kinder Geeks Story

Walking on the Shore

Will Little Roo Ever

Kate and the Energy Vampire

Loyalty

Will Little Roo Ever...

Poem

Christmas

Touch People

Orbiting the Earth

Man Made of Fruit

The Moon Princess

Loan Shark Hades - Inked

Speculation

Loan Shark Hades - Digitally Colored

Crossing Saturn’s Rings

Barbra Streisand

Joe Kubert

Gene Wilder

Colin Firth

Chadwick Boseman

The Heart of Paris

Golden Gate Bridge

Utah Monuments

Grand Junction

The best thing I do for myself
is doing something
great for other people

About Me

I was born and raised in Grand Junction, a small town in western Colorado, where I discovered passion for an artistic livelihood at an early age. I have been to over thirty different countries across the world and have been exposed to countless cultures and traditions.

I attended Western Colorado Community College while still in high school to begin taking steps towards an Associate’s degree in graphic design and communications. I learned valuable skills, such as visual and humorous storytelling, storyboarding, and 3D animation. Shortly after I moved to New Jersey to attend the Joe Kubert School of Graphic Design, where I further developed skills in animation and visual storytelling. While there, my work has reached the silver screen for the first time as a prop artist for Jeremy Wechter’s E-Demon (2018). Also, my visual storytelling reached initial publication in Peter Allan’s Toby the Crane (2015) and Toby the Crane to the Rescue (2017).

My primary career interest is illustrating children’s books, but I also enjoy humor and caricature, and my passions and interests branch into several other fields, including film and animation. I am progressive in a variety of tools and techniques, both digital and non-digital, and thus, I can do just about any type of art piece that a client might need.


The goal for my work is to benefit my clients and their audiences.



Jacob Below: Self Portrait

Skills: Materials

  • Pen and Ink

  • Black-and-White Pencil Work

  • Watercolors

  • Acrylic Painting

  • Scratchboard

  • Digital Artwork & Digital Coloring

  • Photo Editing

Skills: Subject Matter

  • Animation

  • Video Editing

  • Illustration

  • Painting

  • Humor and Caricature

  • Story Writing & Character Development

My Work By The Numbers

17

Videos

50

Caricatures

75

Landscapes

200

Cartoons

45

Conceptual Art Pieces

Let me inspire you
with your next
design or animation project

My Skills

I have a unique
blend of skills that allow
me to offer a diverse
range of design services.

Illustration

Pencil,ink, water colors, acrylic paintings, digital coloring and charcoal drawing.

Painting

Landscapes and concept design in acrylics and watercolors.

Humor and Caricature

Portraits, cartoons and concept art.

Story Writing

Character development, cartooning, short stories and children stories.

Animation

Character development and design, visualization and hand-drawn animations.

Video Editing

Professional video editing, to include timing, lighting, colorization and post production.


 

I pride myself on my ability to be versatile, to stay aware of design trends, and to communicate effectively. I take care to meet my clients' strict deadlines. My peers see me as helpful, dedicated, and optimistic.

Everyone is born artistic.
The trick is to stay artistic.
Pablo Picasso

Video Project

A concept that I hope to potentially turn into
a fully-fledged story one day.

Journey Out West (Unproduced Project)

For fun. A demonstration of my animation exercises from a couple years back.

Flickr

FAQs

How do I go about hiring you?

The best way to contact me is via email at contact@jacobbelow.com. And the best way to get know me and see if I’m right for your job is to either meet me in person and interview me, or to have me send sample work to decide if it’s what you are looking for. I am always open to employment opportunities.

Why should I choose you over your competition?

When I’m given a task, I don’t do it just for a quick paycheck. I always try to make sure that the quality is worth your while, and that both of us are benefiting from the work relationship. I also try to make the work that I do stand out in the best way, so that it will appeal to the client and everyone that is shown my work.

What size projects do you work on?

I work alone but that's all I do so I can tackle relatively large-size projects. I would also welcome being part of a larger team.

What software do you use?

I use Adobe products (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects) as well as Manga Studio.

What are your rates?

My rates typically depend on the project, and how much is invested in it. Please contact me to discuss the scope of the project and I will provide you with a clear, precise quote.

What if I am not satisfied with your work?

As long as I have some basic guidelines for what you'd like to see in a certain image, I can come up with a rendition that will suit what you are looking for. The way I typically do my work is I send in first draft samples for approval, and I make any changes you'd ask for. And if there is any issue with the final image I’ve produced, I can redo or make alterations to it as well (although any revisions after the first, I have to charge extra for).

Where to send payment for commissions?

My address for any monetary income is:

Jacob Below
PO Box 1000
Denville, NJ, 07834

ContactMe

I am eager to make connections
and to hear from you
to discuss your next project.

  • Mon-Fri: 9:00 a.m. → 5:30 p.m.
    Sat: 10:00 a.m. → 2:00 p.m.
    Sunday: By Appointment

On Social Media

In the mind of every artist
there is a masterpiece.
Kai Greene