Adobe Photoshop Portfolio
Artist, Illustrator: John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
About My Photoshop Work
Adobe Photoshop started out as a photo retouching tool, and it still does that job better than anything else. But over the years, artists and illustrators have pushed it way beyond its original purpose. These days I use it for digital illustration, compositing, and image manipulation that goes far beyond simple editing. You can create original artwork from scratch in Photoshop, or you can take a photograph and transform it until it barely resembles the original. I have not yet tried to fully replicate the feel of oil painting in Photoshop, but I have made images where "retouching" is nowhere near the right word for what I did.
Photoshop is the industry standard for working with bitmap images. I use it every day, almost always alongside other tools like Adobe Illustrator and SketchUp. Even when I am doing something routine like resizing images, compressing files, or preparing artwork for print and web, I treat it with the same attention I bring to full scale illustrations. That practice keeps my skills sharp and makes sure I am ready for whatever a project throws at me.
Where Photoshop Fits in My Workflow
Nearly every illustration on this site has passed through Photoshop in some way. Sometimes it is for final compositing, pulling together elements from different sources. Sometimes it is for color adjustment or final output preparation. The software gives me the flexibility to move between precision work and creative exploration without switching tools. I can make subtle enhancements that nobody notices but that make the image work better. Or I can build bold, original illustrations from the ground up. Photoshop is the claw hammer of my industry.
Examples of My Photoshop Work
The images on this page fall into two groups. Some were created entirely in Photoshop, from start to finish. Others started in different software and came into Photoshop for finishing touches. The marina maps, boat show maps, and resort illustrations you see elsewhere on this site all got their final polish here. Color correction, layer adjustments, compositing, output preparation. That is where Photoshop earns its keep.
Your Project
If you need illustration work that requires digital painting, photo manipulation, or complex compositing, contact me. I have the tools and the experience to deliver what you need.
PORTFOLIO SELECTIONS
- Custom illustration & covers: Featuring bespoke illustration, book and magazine covers, hand-drawn maps, and building renderings.
- Fine art & murals: Including one-of-a-kind paintings and drawings, the Custom Halftone Series, and large-scale murals.
- Design & motion media: Covering graphic design, plus video and motion and animated illustration.
- Mapping by application: Tailored maps for marine events, hospitality, waterfront, property, transit, municipal, recreation, and navigation needs.
- Additional creative work: Includes editorial covers, vehicle graphics, concept renderings, and public art.
- Mediums & formats: Ranging from digital vector and isometric projection to traditional paint, line art, GIS-based, aerial-style, and halftone.
- Software expertise: Proficient in Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp, InDesign, and Premiere/After Effects for motion.