Have you ever seen Stephen Bailey’s artwork? Well, if you have ever walked through a grocery store, you most certainly have. Bailey is an illustrator, and he has illustrated the artwork featuring some of the most iconic characters, including Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger; Snap, Crackle and Pop; and more.
Bailey, a resident of Apollo Beach, has been illustrating for over 25 years. He is a true artist. Each of his creations, whether it is for a cereal brand, clothing label or a Marvel character, is hand-drawn first with pencil.
Bailey’s illustrations are best described as playful realism, energetic, happy and colorful, and he is a professional who has a high attention to detail. He pays special attention to character form and motion and creates eye-catching characters.
Bailey graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio. He moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for several years. He started out as a screen printer and got his big break and started doing work in advertising. Eventually, a friend asked him to help work on a project for Kellogg’s.
Today, he is the top illustrator for Kellogg’s. Over the years he has worked on three updates of Tony the Tiger. Currently, he is working on a redesign of Rice Krispies Treats characters for the Canada market. Most recently, he created an updated look for the Toucan Sam on the Froot Loops cereal box.
Bailey said, “Creating these characters takes a lot of time. I am a part of a team that works for months for a new design to be approved.” Bailey added, “I love doing what I do. Art is a part of every aspect of everyone’s life.”
Bailey’s advice to young, aspiring artists is, “Do not get discouraged. You have to take stepping-stones in life.”
Bailey added, “Do not close doors or pigeonhole yourself. My first job was doing production in an art department. It might not have been exactly what I wanted to do, but I was still around art.”
Bailey further said, “You have to make contact with people. That is hard because you are vulnerable, but it makes a better impression.”
For more information on Bailey and to learn more about his art, please visit www.sbaileyillustration.com.
