My Name is Brian Allen

How’s it going?

I’m a freelance artist and creative director living in the State College / Bellefonte area in Pennsylvania, with my wife, Lesha and our two hell-spawn, Michael and Isabella.  Most recently known for designing the new Philadelphia Flyers’ mascot, Gritty, who became a viral sensation overnight. I’ve somehow managed to work with many of the brands that raised me, such as Metallica, Hulk Hogan, and Activision.

My Style:

I create artwork in two very different styles:  light and dark, which is an unusual mix.  I genuinely enjoy illustrating fun, happy things as much as I enjoy designing dark, creepy things.  The result of my work is generally a hybrid blend of both.

My art style tends to be humorous and quirky, and sometimes a bit odd.  This makes sense, because my wife says that I am humorous and quirky, and sometimes a bit odd.

My Origin Story:

After graduating from Penn State University, my first full-time gig as an illustrator was for a motorcycle decal manufacturer called XGX Racing.  My creative director was a seriously talented illustrator from the video game industry, and I absorbed everything I could. He showed me a lot of the tricks I use today as a digital illustrator, and also taught me how to successfully run a business and manage a team.

Then I got married and moved back to my hometown of State College Pennsylvania, to raise children, and to work for Jostens Printing and Publishing as a book cover illustrator.

With the help of my family, friends, and clients, I finally was able to take the leap into freelancing full-time.  Nothing has made me happier than running my own business out of my own studio.  It’s a crazy, stressful, exciting, rewarding, and challenging adventure – and I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else.

About My Clients:

I work with clients large and small – I’m more interested in the content of the project than the size of the client.

I think the best artwork materializes when you and I are having a lot of fun creating it, so I really take care to make sure that I’m always working on things that genuinely peak my interest. Because the style of my artwork attracts people from very cool industries, my clients are often way cooler than I am.