Canon Canada issued a unique challenge in early 2009 to the graduating class of Sheridan College 's prestigious Bachelor of Applied Arts – Illustration program: apply your illustrations to the surface of a PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer to create a unique, customized look.

To generate excitement for the initiative, Canon Canada and the faculty at Sheridan College created a competition where three talented illustrators would be selected to have their work transformed into a skin for the PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer. The thin, removable vinyl skins used to apply artwork to the printer don't just add a layer of anti-scratch protection, but they also allow customers to customize the appearance of the printer. The students were given three themes as a starting point for their illustrations; what's inside the box, retro and environment. 

“We really just wanted to see what the graduates could come up with when given the iP100 as a canvas” said Justin Lam, Director of Marketing for Canon's Consumer Imaging Group. “Our aim was to demonstrate how artistic theory in school can transform in practice for a commercial purpose. They received a template for the iP100, a profile of the typical customer and an example of an iP100 printer with an artist designed skin applied to it. We purposely limited the amount of direction so the students' creative vision would dictate the results and we soon discovered that the Sheridan students had great ambition and very unique artistic traits.”

"Getting the chance to work with Canon on this project gave me the chance to see where my style of work can be applied", said Bryce Huffman, one of the winners from the competition. "For the iP100 skin, I used the shape of the printer and transformed it into a retro-style radio. I hope to get the chance to work on similar projects in the future."

The three winners had their skin included in a limited edition PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer bundle available for purchase on the Canon eStore. In addition, each winner received a PowerShot SD780 IS Camera and PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer.

 The iP100 printer bundle with skins will be available for purchase on the Canon Canada eStore. (www.estore.canon.ca)

THE WINNERS

Splitting time as a youth between the relaxed South Carolina coast, the hi-tech hub of Waterloo and summers kayaking in Ontario wilderness, Jesse Koreck established an infatuation with nature and the design of his surroundings. With a mother in fine arts, and a father in industrial design, Koreck's illustrative work bridges the two fields with precision as he explores concepts concerning the presence of humanity, automation, artificial intelligence and the preservation of ecology.

Koreck ran with the concept “What's inside the box”. Using the iP100's print speed as his inspiration, Koreck transformed the guts of the printer into a jet engine.

As Koreck explained, "My concept for the PIXMA iP100 skin involves the figurative visualization of a compelling reality far beyond the physical proportions of a conventional printer, providing a perplexing view of the immense speed, strength and power of a jet engine."

With a passion for painting, Bryce Huffman spends a majority of his time painting robots, lasers, and spaceships. As a recently graduate of the Illustration program at Sheridan College , Bryce iis currently expanding his portfolio by showcasing his work at a variety of gallery showings.

"Getting the chance to work with Canon on this project gave me the chance to see where my style of work can be applied", he explains. "A lot of my work deals with subtle transformations of objects and creatures plucked out of everyday life, and twisted into my own vision. Strong graphic areas mixed with form and textures are the basic ingredients to my work. For the iP100 skin, I have used the shape of the printer and transformed it into a retro-style radio. I hope to get the chance to work on similar projects in the future."

Even from a young age, Kirk Zimmerman predicted a career for himself that revolved around art. Illustration was a perfect fit for Kirk because of its ever-evolving nature. His recent co-op experience at the Region of Halton has him leaning towards a career in graphic design.

"It was a refreshing experience to get the opportunity to work with Canon on a project", he comments. "It provided an opportunity to do something that was familiar and different at the same time. The great people at Canon really wanted us to push our creativity and just have fun with the project and as an artist, you can't ask for anything better than that!"

Zimmerman's skin 'Euphoria', evokes a feeling of the Fall season by capturing everything from the colours to the wind.