bio

I am a 1988 graduate of Pratt Institute. Despite the dire predictions of teachers and classmates, I returned to my hometown, Baltimore, Md., where I work as an Illustrator. For years I lived in squalor with my dog, Sue, and a hitch-hiker I picked up who heard voices and had a lazy eye. Then I met and married  my incredible wife, Tracy. Sadly, my pal, Sue, passed away a few years ago followed by our awesome cats, Leroy, Jake, and finally, the lovely and talented Syndey. But Tracy and I forge ahead with our extensive collection of insanely frightening ventriloquist dummies... and that hitchhiker (AKA Detroit Dave) whom we've come to view as a slightly dangerous cousin. I taught illustration at MICA (the Maryland Institute College of Art)  for 9 years. In 2015, I co-founded the Baltimore Academy of Illustration-- an unaccredited school focusing on illustration (as you may have guessed by the name) which I now run by myself. You can visit us at www.baltimoreillustration.com. I've been teaching there exclusively since. In March 2016 my book on illustration (Illustration That Works) was published by the Monacelli Press. My second book, Understanding Caricature (The Monacelli Press/Phaidon Press) was published in April of 2021. I also wrote and illustrated two graphic novels originally published by NBM Publishing, Vatican Hustle (2009) and Elephant Man (2010).

As the pieces on this site should, hopefully, make evident, my style is multifaceted and allows me to handle a wide variety of subjects and clients. However, I will not accept a job that requires me to copy or imitate another artist. I'm fast, I'm professional and, as I write this, I've never missed a deadline and have no designs on doing so.

Over the years my clients have included various newspapers (daily and alternative), ad agencies (I won the 1998 local and regional ADDY Awards for illustration), magazines, comicbook companies, publishing companies, political organizations, film companies, theater companies, animation companies, bands, game companies and some businesses that defy easy categorization. I've also exhibited work in a variety of solo and group shows and I accept commissions. In spite of all this, great wealth has continued to elude me. I hope that the Art Directors who see this site will hire me-- if for no other reason than to help me reach my goal of obtaining near pornographic riches.

If you'd like to see even more of my work you can check it out on Instagram (and then call your physician). My handle is @ghoustonillustration.

Greg