Graham Smith

    Left: Hands can often be a giveaway to ones line of work, Graham's are no exception. Right: A cover piece for the SF Weekly about the MS-13 gang and an FBI informant.

    Welcome to the family, Graham.

    In Freehub’s long-standing tradition of bringing on a new cover artist each year, we’re excited to announce a collaboration with San Diego-based artist Graham Smith for volume seven.

    This infusion of some surreal into the tangible world of mountain biking is one of our favorite things; a little imagination goes a long way. In the past we’ve seen barreling trains, a crumbling Saltair, and vibrant, wispy clouds. But regardless if it has a vivacious or subtle tone, it’s part of a bigger picture, one that aims to provide stoke and inspiration for pedaling.

    A lot of Graham's work is editorial illustrations to acopmany articles and give a different feeling that photos might not be able to. This piece was for an article about veteran homelessness in the Military Officers Association of America's publication.
    A pretty creative take on how Coyotes smuggle illegal immegrants across the US/Mexican boarder. Created for the Pheonix Times' cover.

    Graham has been producing commercial and editorial work for over a decade, and has worked with clients like The Boston Globe, ESPN Magazine, San Francisco Weekly and Sony (to name a few). Some of Graham’s most notable works are his portraits, which have a balanced sense of organic lines and raw ink blotches that convey character, not just appearance.

    All of Graham’s illustrations are originally done analog; pen, pencil, ink, watercolor, or what ever else it may be, to paper. Then he scans everything into the computer and manipulates the elements in Photoshop, creating and final, high-resolution, digital image. It’s a process, but one that gets the style and precision he wants.

    It's nice to switch up styles, and Graham certainly keeps his artwork varied from project to project. This one has a much lighter note than some others.
    This was part of a cover for Paste Magazine's International issue about redefining world music.

    “This particular project I am in love with,” Graham says. “I love new things, I get bored with doing the same thing over and over again. I have so many interests, doing life drawings, doing sketchbook stuff, illustrating. But this one, the concept of the illustration combined with the super luxury photography, I love it.”

    So as the release of 7.1 closes in, our excitement to share this wonderful fusion is escalating. Every cover collaboration we’ve ever done creates a unique realm of the mountain biking world, and there’s no doubt that Graham has the exceptional ability to continue this legacy.

    Check out more of Graham's work here.