Rick Shiers Studio
Rick Shiers Studio is a solo custom illustration practice based in Foxboro, Massachusetts, operating since 1988 to deliver hand-drawn and digitally finished artwork for brands, publishers, and institutions including Hershey, Jim Beam, Brown University, and FM Global.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersFoxboro, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Rick Shiers Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rick Shiers Studio
- Website
- https://scrappydog.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rick Shiers Studio is a solo custom illustration practice based in Foxboro, Massachusetts, operating since 1988 to deliver hand-drawn and digitally finished artwork for brands, publishers, and institutions including Hershey, Jim Beam, Brown University, and FM Global.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rick Shiers Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Illustration Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH)
Keywords
Where Rick Shiers Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Foxboro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rick Shiers Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Illustration Commission: Project-based illustration services for diverse clients. Rick Shiers creates custom illustrations on a per-project basis including editorial illustrations, fashion illustrations, book covers and interiors, packaging illustrations, logos, character designs, technical illustrations, and fine art paintings.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Rick Shiers Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rick Shiers Studio is a solo illustration and design practice that creates custom illustrations on a per-project basis across editorial, fashion, book, packaging, technical, geometric, character design, comics, portrait, and fine art categories. Services span hand-drawn ideation to digital image creation and manipulation, delivered to enterprise clients across publishing, retail, education, corporate, and government sectors.
Product overview
Rick Shiers Studio is a freelance illustration studio offering a diverse portfolio of illustration services. The studio specializes in helping clients visualize and communicate ideas across most genres of illustration and design. Skills range from hand drawn ideation to digital image creation and manipulation using a diverse and ever expanding range of styles. Services include Graphic Illustrations, Magazine Editorial Illustrations, Fashion Illustrations, Book Cover and Interior Illustrations, Wall Art, Comics and Heroes, Character Design, Portrait Illustrations, Geometric Style Illustrations, Packaging Illustrations, Technical Illustrations, Stylized Campus Maps, Logos, Storyboards ( Pencil Storyboard, Pencil with Digital Wash, Digital Color, Idea Boards and Scenes, Black and White Digital), and Paintings (Landscapes, Still Life, Playing Games, Having Fun).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Graphic Illustrations
- Magazine Editorial Illustrations
- Fashion Illustrations
- Book Cover and Interior Illustrations
- Wall Art
- Comics and Heroes
- Character Design
- Portrait Illustrations
- Geometric Style Illustrations
- Packaging Illustrations
- Technical Illustrations
- Stylized Campus Maps
- Logos
- Presentation Storyboards
- Paintings
Companies that use Rick Shiers Studio
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Rick Shiers Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Rick Shiers Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Rick Shiers Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Shutterstock: A stock content platform licensing pre-made illustrations and images — not a direct substitute for Rick Shiers' custom commissions, but a lower-cost alternative that buyers consider before commissioning bespoke illustration.
- Behance: Adobe-owned portfolio and discovery platform used by illustrators to showcase work and be discovered by clients — a channel and competitive surface where Rick Shiers' prospective clients search for freelance illustrators instead of contacting him directly.
Broad incumbents
- Pentagram: A globally recognized, partner-led design firm doing branding, identity, editorial, and packaging work for enterprise clients — overlapping with Rick Shiers' corporate, publishing, and brand illustration commissions, though at much larger scale and partner-driven rather than solo.
- Folio Art: A long-running illustration agency representing artists for editorial, publishing, and commercial commissions — directly comparable customer segments to Rick Shiers' editorial and book illustration work, though delivered through an agency model.
- The Bright Agency: An established illustration agency representing a roster of freelance illustrators across editorial, book, advertising, and packaging categories — comparable customer base and end-use cases, but operating as a multi-artist intermediary rather than a solo studio.
Emerging players
- 99designs: An online design marketplace where clients commission logos, illustrations, and graphics from freelance designers — competes with Rick Shiers for small and mid-market illustration and logo briefs that would otherwise go to a solo practitioner.
- Fiverr: A global freelance services marketplace offering illustration, logo design, and character design from a vast pool of independent creators — a structural competitor for entry-level and SMB illustration work that Rick Shiers occasionally takes.
Direct peers
- NoPattern Studio: A small freelance design and illustration studio offering hand-illustrated branding, editorial, and packaging work for diverse commercial clients — the closest operating analogue to Rick Shiers Studio's solo, multi-style practice.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rick Shiers Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rick Shiers Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Rick Shiers Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rick Shiers Studio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rick Shiers Studio
What does Rick Shiers Studio do?
Rick Shiers Studio is a solo illustration and design practice that creates custom illustrations on a per-project basis across editorial, fashion, book, packaging, technical, geometric, character design, comics, portrait, and fine art categories. Services span hand-drawn ideation to digital image creation and manipulation, delivered to enterprise clients across publishing, retail, education, corporate, and government sectors.
Is Rick Shiers Studio a public or private company?
Rick Shiers Studio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rick Shiers Studio founded?
Rick Shiers Studio was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rick Shiers Studio based?
Rick Shiers Studio is headquartered in Foxboro, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rick Shiers Studio make money?
One revenue line is on record: custom Illustration Commission.
Who are Rick Shiers Studio's main competitors?
Others on record are Shutterstock and Behance. Broad incumbents are Pentagram, Folio Art and The Bright Agency. Emerging players are 99designs and Fiverr. NoPattern Studio is listed as a direct peer.
Does Rick Shiers Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rick Shiers Studio.
What industry is Rick Shiers Studio in?
Rick Shiers Studio's product category is Commercial Illustration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAH, Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.