Kenneth Crane Art and the Beauty of Exploring America's National Parks
A little over five years ago, Kenneth Crane, a talented poster artist, digital illustrator, photographer, and painter embarked on a mission to visit and document all 63 American National Parks.
As we are at the dawn of a new year and a new adventure is just around the corner, we thought it would be a great time to show snippets of Ken's travels, the art he created as a result of his inspiration from those journeys, and a bit about his process. May it inspire you to go on adventures of your own in 2025!
(Below is a sneak preview of an exhibit that collaborating artist Ken Crane and ADG Founder and Creative Director Joel Anderson put on at Ken's alma mater, John Brown University):
Introducing Kenneth Crane
Kenneth Crane is a self-employed illustrator, explorer, and photographer based in Monument, Colorado. After earning degrees in illustration and graphic design from John Brown University in 2016, Ken spent eight years in the Christian non-profit sector helping underserved communities at home and across the globe.
Kenneth's most notable wilderness adventures have occurred in the past five years, but his love for the natural world has been a lifelong commitment, given that he's immersed himself in the outdoors since childhood. Ken has hiked and camped at every opportunity, camera in one hand, sketchbook in the other.
Committed to portraying through light and color the beautiful places safeguarded by the conservationists and wilderness enthusiasts of yesteryear, Kenneth is currently visiting all 63 national parks, photographing and illustrating each to tell one of America’s greatest stories.
On a Mission to Document Them All
Kenneth's style is one like no other. He uses a dry brush digital sketching technique to compose elegant, mysterious, beautifully fluid, illustrated poster art. Kenneth combines 21st-century graphic design techniques with a loose, flowing, hand-rendered style that hearkens back to the vintage poster art of the early 20th century.
But that's not all that makes Ken's work unique.
Ken's art stands out because he travels to the places he creates art of. That's how Ken can portray the national parks in such awe-inspiring glory, often focusing on the wondrous, sometimes lesser-known aspects of the parks that are typically overlooked.
In a coffee table book portraying Ken's work (more on the book later), Ken was quoted as saying:
"Each park’s illustrations begin with research. Lots and lots of research. I begin by perusing park websites and travel blogs for photography hotspots and insider info, everything from campsites and wildlife viewing to sunrise and sunset times. I meticulously plan out each day, saving golden hour for lighting inspiration and midday for reference material. That allows me to use my time in the parks efficiently because, once on location, I have a limited amount of time and I must be methodical and diligent, on the lookout for iconic scenes, dramatic lighting, intriguing specimens, and active wildlife, all components that paint the broader picture of that park."
In Their Own Words: Ken and Joel Talk About Art
Since 2007, Joel Anderson has led a family-owned design and illustration agency in Tennessee that's produced over 3,000 original posters. The designs are typically portrayed in a vintage art style with other 20th-century elements and inspirations (like art deco, mid-century modern art, early 20th century travel art, WPA-inspired art, etc). After leading several in-house artists and numerous collaborating artists, it's safe to say Joel has an eye for talent. This is what he said when he first laid eyes on Ken's work:
"His sense of composition, color, and light reminded me of the master illustrators of the early 20th century. Kenneth is a true artist. Sure, he's technically skilled at his craft, but he sees and imagines things that the average illustrator would miss. His ability to choose a subject and then illuminate what is awe-inspiring about it–his 'mind's eye' is what drew me to his work. Then when I met him, I got the added pleasure of discovering a hard-working, cheerful, humble young professional. He's got integrity and a real depth of character, which makes our collaboration all the better. I truly think he will become one of the great illustrators of this new generation."
Since their friendship and artistic collaboration began over five years ago, Ken and Joel have met multiple times to visit national parks, work on art projects, and brainstorm new ideas. During one of those meetings, the two had a chance to document a discussion about what goes into making art of national parks, an interview of sorts. Here is some of what they said:
Joel: How would you describe your creative process?
Ken: I like to gather inspiration on location, so for the national park series I prefer to visit as many of the parks as possible. I take lots of pictures, look for dramatic lighting and intriguing compositions; then, I couple this primary research with online visual research. I’ve found Pinterest to be especially helpful in curating a good source of photography as well as existing artwork. By researching other artist’s interpretations of the parks I'm able to avoid trends and cliches. This is key in keeping originality.
Joel: And when it comes time to execute? What does that look like?
Ken: I use a Wacom tablet in Photoshop from start to finish. Beginning with a sketch, I block in the composition and test out color palettes using the visual research I have gathered. Rather than layering the composition, I'm accustomed to working on one layer, like a painting. This gives me a sense of spontaneity and keeps my illustrations loose and expressive, forcing me to paint over and massage any mistakes along the way. As the piece progresses, I work in the details and adjust the color as necessary to achieve the final look.
Joel: You broke the mold by being able to make a living for yourself as a freelance artist. What advice do you have for aspiring artists looking to do the same?
Ken: Repetition. Create new pieces over and over again. I’d recommend starting out with initiatives such as Inktober or 36 Days of Type to jumpstart the habit. From there you begin to hone in on what comes naturally to you, what takes you too long, what inspires you, and what frustrates you. Simply adapt your style to what fits your lifestyle. Ask yourself, could I do this day after day and enjoy it? I once thought pastel painting would be my signature style, but after realizing it took too long to do a simple sketch, I transitioned to digital illustration. I found I could start, continue, or end a project in a matter of minutes. This reduced the barriers between me and creating new pieces. Digital illustrations became my go-to medium which then became my style, and now my craft.
A New Coffee Table Book Documenting Wilderness & Wonder of the National Parks
In November 2024, Anderson Design Group published a coffee table book on the national parks, an illustrated guide to the parks and a decor piece all in one. Called Wilderness & Wonder: An Illustrated Guide to the National Parks, this book provided a complete review of the 63 U.S. National Parks and their iconic wilderness aspects and natural wonders, all beautifully celebrated in original poster art by master illustrator Kenneth Crane and described in educational text by writer/researcher Ren Brabenec.
In partnership with and directed by Anderson Design Group’s founder, Joel Anderson, an internationally renowned illustrator, author, and poster artist, the three friends collaborated to create an intimate look at America’s national parks through colorful and informative spot illustrations, charts, timelines, and photography.
The book is filled with over 560 renderings drawn from field notes, plus dozens of photos shot on location during Ken, Joel, and Ren's nature studies and expeditions into the parks. For those trying to decide which are the best national parks to visit in the U.S., this book will show them that all the parks are unique and special while helping them zero in and find their favorite park.
In a true display of teamwork, each individual contributed their very best to the project:
- Kenneth artfully wove together fascinating maps, diagrams, and wildlife renditions.
- Ren added historical information, handy travel tips, and written descriptions of each park’s compelling features.
- Joel knit together Ken's art and photos, along with Ren's travel tips and park descriptions into accessible, elegant spreads that make this book the most gorgeous and engaging Anderson Design Group coffee table book to date.
In a recent interview with The Tennessean, the Volunteer State's most widely read newspaper, Ken had this to say about the years'-long project to document the parks and depict them in coffee table book format:
"I'm super thankful for Joel and the opportunity to partner with him on this. It’s been one of those dream projects, where it's like, 'Pinch me. Am I dreaming?' You don't just run into this opportunity every day, where you get paid to go and research all the national parks and then illustrate them.”
Joel was also asked about the book:
"This one is more about pulling back the curtain and giving a backstage tour of the parks. It still, I think, romanticizes the parks a little bit, because we're showing all the beautiful stuff, but it's a lot more practical. For Wilderness & Wonder, our design direction was, in part, an effort to find a balance in highlighting evocative imagery that captures limited attention spans with the practical utility of a travel guide and educational tool."
2025 Travel and Beyond!
Ken only has a handful of national parks to visit before completing his mission to see all 63. Determined, an excellent planner, and highly effective at time management, the young artist aims to see the remaining parks in 2025, despite that necessitating at least two trips to Alaska, one to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and another to the Caribbean!
But if anyone can pull all that off in one year, it's Kenneth Crane.
To tap into the wanderlust-filled inspiration that keeps Ken, Joel, Ren, and the rest of the ADG team motivated every day, check out the Kenneth Crane Collection, a new take on the national parks.
Also, don't forget to click the newsletter sign-up button just below this blog post, as we'll be sure to document 2025's adventures, helpful information, must-sees, and travel tips right here in the blog.
Happy Trails,
- Ren Brabenec
Anderson Design Group Staff Writer