DEEP DIVE: #DrawnOniPad CAMPAIGN FOR APPLE

In April, I received a vague email asking about my availability and whether I had any experience with Procreate. No big intro, no flashy pitch, just a few clipped questions and an NDA to sign.

I answered everything, sent it back, and waited.

Then… nothing. For a week, my inbox was quiet. I began to mentally file the project under “almost but not quite” and went back to my normal routine. Then the following week, an email popped up: they wanted to hop on a call. Midway through the conversation, I learned the client was Apple. And honestly, it felt full circle.

My relationship with Apple has always been organic, I’ve used their products daily for years. Throughout my career I've been able to speak at the Apple store in Williamsburg and the store in Miami to showcase how someone like me navigates my day to day with Apple products. I was that kid convincing my family to ditch Android because even back then, I recognized their ability to streamline, innovate, and design with creatives in mind. This wasn’t just a brand I used; it was a brand woven into the way I work.

When we got into the brief, the goal was simple: each artist would reimagine a new world using photos from a provided library, an iPad, and Procreate. It felt like a project I’d been preparing for, since the beginning, I’ve drawn over photographs as a way to practice and now I was turning that practice into reality.

I kicked things off with 10 rough drafts, each paired with detailed descriptions: five vertical concepts and five horizontal, so the client could decide which direction worked best.

My theme? Imaginary chaos: placing my characters in unpredictable, slightly mischievous scenarios. If you’ve been following my work, you know my characters are never up to any good. One of them, Zuri, often finds herself in whimsical situations that blur the line between curiosity and trouble. Little did I know she’d end up being the star of the final piece.

Some ideas came to me at 2 a.m., sketched on my iPad in bed. Others were born out of quick idea typed into my notes, later translated into rough sketches. I filled folders with color swatches, cropped references, and playful doodles, chasing the kind of unpredictability I love most.

For four weeks, I hopped on weekly calls with the team, emailed check-ins, and refined every little detail. After the client reviewed the initial 10 rough drafts, we narrowed it down to 5, then to 1 — an illustration of Zuri holding a pair of binoculars for a friend as they searched for their next adventure.

On May 4th, I handed over the final files. I met my deadline… and then waited. Three months later, the news finally came through: the campaign had launched. In Times Square.

Standing in front of it for the first time, I thought about how it all started — how it stemmed from my relentless need to practice and stay a student to my craft. So if there’s anything you take away from this post, especially if you’re an artist, document your practice. You never know when something you’ve been doing for fun will become the exact skill a dream client is looking for.