James Provost - Technical Illustrator » 3D

Waterproof Fabric

James Provost — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:17:43 +0000

Cutaway showing how the layers in waterproof fabrics block out cold, wind and rain, but breathe to allow moisture to escape. For Outside magazine. John McCauley, art director.

Focus-Later Camera

James Provost — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:10:43 +0000

Cutaway illustration of Lytro’s “focus-later” light field camera, which allows the photographer to change the focal point after a photo is taken. This is achieved with a light field sensor that measures the color, intensity and vector direction of light rays.

Augmented Reality Visor

James Provost — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:51:57 +0000

Augmented Reality, or AR, is a general term for manipulating our experience of the world around us with technology. Today it means pointing your smartphone camera at a restaurant and getting reviews. Tomorrow it might mean complete immersion into a customizable version of reality via 3D stereoscopic camera/video headsets.

Power-Generating Buildings

James Provost — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:30:28 +0000

3D illustration of power-generating buildings that are part of a vision for a smart electricity grid that intelligently manages power sources and users. For Security Management magazine, AD Elizabeth Lankes.

Green Cars in the New York Times

James Provost — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:56:41 +0000

An ongoing project with the Union of Concerned Scientists just got a write up on the New York Times’ auto blog.

The organization’s Model E crossover is conceived as a platform that can accommodate any one of four propulsion systems. The same body would be expected to house a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel-cell or purely electric powertrain. [...] The union plans to add a family car, a compact and a pickup to the Model E lineup. Each vehicle would be relatively inexpensive to build, buy and operate, encouraging wide adoption, according to the group.

The Future of Publishing

James Provost — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:51:44 +0000

There is a lot of speculation as to what the future of publishing might look like. If one thing is for certain, it’s that it will involve a screen. Apple’s irresistibly cool hardware, intuitive software and lucrative App Store created a trifecta that arguably saved the music industry. With the iPad, Apple looks to do the same with the publishing industry, from books to magazines to newspapers.

A screen presents new opportunities for a once-static medium, while users demand richer more immersive experiences. The iPad presents its own challenges, like the exclusion of Flash, opting instead to provide these experiences via new developing web standards loosely referred to as HTML5.

To test these new technologies, I put together this interactive HTML5 demo using the Canvas element, Javascript and artwork from my Mecanum Wheels motion illustration.

A few caveats: This demo works only in the latest versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox. On iOS devices like iPad, iPhone and iPad Touch, it may run slow because Javascript is processed much slower than the native Xcode.

Mecanum Wheels HTML5 Demo

James Provost — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:15:41 +0000

An interactive HTML5/Canvas (no Flash) demonstration allowing users to discover how mecanum wheels work to allow vehicles to move forwards, backwards, side-to-side and rotate on the spot. Works best in Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox and Apple iPad & iPhone.

Oilsands Optimism

James Provost — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:35:00 +0000

Extruded 3D type for an Alberta Venture Magazine article speculating when oilsands investments will see a recovery. 3 out of 10 delegates polled predicted sector spending to return in 2015.

This was a quick turnaround project, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

Cover Illustration for Alberta Venture

James Provost — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:44:00 +0000

Alberta Venture Magazine asked me to create a 3D typographic trophy for the cover of their annual Venture 100, a roundup of the 100 largest companies headquartered in Alberta. The image communicates the prestige of being a part of this elite group.

See the work and read more here.