Skevik Skis' Custom Owl Illustration

illustrationsapplied artdigital artapplied-illustration

Nov 8

Custom owl illustration by Pellvetica designed for high-end Skevik Skis topsheet graphics.

Product illustration by Pellvetica blending geometric structure and organic patterning for a premium ski manufacturer.

Pellvetica created a custom owl illustration for Skevik Skis', a high-end ski manufacturer known for collaborating with artists to produce unique, limited-edition graphics. Blending structured line systems with expressive organic forms, the artwork brings character, movement, and storytelling to the ski topsheet design, elevating the visual identity of the product and the brand.

A Vernon, BC-based handcrafted ski maker called Skevik Skis approached us to collaborate on a new ski design for their 2014/2015 product lineup, which was later reintroduced for a limited run in 2025.

They were excited about the Owl Eyes mural we created for Hootsuite and wanted something along the same lines on their skis. Birds reflected the feelings of flight, freedom, and balance – all feelings also present when skiers are pacing down mountains.

The biggest challenge of the project was the canvas's size: a long, thin sheet that would have two skis cut from it. The winning idea came to light when Sandy was laying down in bed following a brainstorm session. She switched on the light, ran into the studio, and began to sketch out a full body-height owl graphic that stretched over the size of the two skis. Skiers will clip their ski boots into the Owls’ sharp claws and carve through the fresh powder on the mountains.

We also explored new ways of working during the production of what became known as the Pell design. Their past analogue style turned digital and were illustrated over a weeks time. We designed this illustration on a Wacom Cintiq tablet to scale in Photoshop. This allowed us to design at scale and pay close attention to key details.

Here’s another great post from the Kingfisher Heliskiing team!

We finished a couple skis with this year’s Pell graphic, integrating the Kingfisher branding amongst the intricate design. However, most were done in a clean, simple black motif, featuring a translucent, green Kingfisher logo, showcasing a hint of our maple wood core. The end result: the Kingfisher, or the “Black Mamba”, in honour of Matt’s dog and long time pal who recently passed.