about
With over 25 years in the graphic design field, I considered myself a well established creative freelance artist. The most exciting part of being a one-person show is the freedom to take on a wide variety of projects and work with some major corporations, small businesses and some well respected Canadian musicians.
My goal with being creative for a client is to aim high, to create something that represents you, your image, that will attract customers, and make you and your company stand out above the competition. Your brand is the foundation of your business and my creativeness is my foundation, so I personally have to be 100% satisfied with the final design I end up creating for my clients. I always put in 110% effort into each and every project.
I welcome all design opportunities with a sense of excitement as if they were my own projects, whether it is a CD package, print ads to full tour advertisting, all the way to a wedding photoshoot. So, within this site you will find a wide range of projects that I have worked on throughout the years of being a graphic artists.
My goal with being creative for a client is to aim high, to create something that represents you, your image, that will attract customers, and make you and your company stand out above the competition. Your brand is the foundation of your business and my creativeness is my foundation, so I personally have to be 100% satisfied with the final design I end up creating for my clients. I always put in 110% effort into each and every project.
I welcome all design opportunities with a sense of excitement as if they were my own projects, whether it is a CD package, print ads to full tour advertisting, all the way to a wedding photoshoot. So, within this site you will find a wide range of projects that I have worked on throughout the years of being a graphic artists.
the resume
education
- Graduated from Durham College Graphic Design Course - 1995 - 1998
work experience
- Freelance Graphic Artist - 1997 - Present
- Hunter Striker - Graphic Designer: Janaury 1998 - March 1998
- Voodoo Airbrushing - Graphic Designer / Web Designer: 1997 - 1998 (co-op placement)
- Athon Graphics - Graphic Designer: 1996 - 1997 (co-op placement)
- Voodoo Airbrushing - Maintence / Prep / Creative Artist / Airbrusher: 1995 - 1996 (co-op placement)
professional skills
- Able to Produce Innovative Concepts for Clients until Project is 100% Approved
- Carries Out Full Detailed Business Research and Creates Multiple Design Concepts for Clients
- Specialized in Integrated Advertising Campaigns, Package Design, Company Branding
- Worked with Small Growing Businesses and Sales Reps
- Managed All Projects and Timelines to Meet Required Deadlines
- Attend Client Meetings and Understand Their Brand and Promotion Requirements
- Continues to Follow up Meetings, Telephone Conferences and Client Change Requests
- Works with Printing Vendors and All Required Agencies / Suppliers
- Assist Clients in Managing Requirements Including Bi-lingual Package Design
- Excellent Communication Skills and Ability to Interact with Clients and Understand Their Requirements
- Able to Work Along with a Exsisting Team to Complete Exsisting to New Projects
software skills
- Adobe Creative Suite/Cloud - Advanced Training in Photoshop / Illustrator / Dreamweaver / inDesign
- Quark Xpress - Basic Training / Knowledge of Application
- Macromedia Director - Basic Animation Training / Knowledge of Application
- Flash - Basic Animation Training / Knowledge of Application
- HTML / CSS / Responsive Design - Self Taught Knowledge of Coding and Webdesign
- Wordpress - Self Taught Working with Wordpress
- MacOS - Skilled Knowledge of Macintosh Sytems and Applications
- Illustration - Able to Pick Up a Pencil and Draw by Hand (born with this skill)
- Photography - Have Somewhat of a Creative Eye Behind a Lens - Photography Class (college)
volunteer
- Sloane's House Pediatric Respite Centre - Web Designer - 2014 - PresentWeb Designer for a charitable organization working to build a respite care facility within Durham Region slated to open in 2021. Sloane's House will provide a facility where medically-fragile children can stay for periods of up to one month while providing support to the parents, caregivers and siblings.
- Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue - Web Designer - 2014 - PresentWeb Designer. Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue is a growing group of volunteers who simply love cats. A not-for-profit registered charity dedicated to the rescue and adoption of homeless cats and kittens and providing support to keep cats in loving homes.
achievements
- Personal Designer for the late Stompin' Tom Connors - 2000 - Present
- Designed Grave Stone for the late Stompin' Tom Connors - 2013
- Ajax High School Graduation Art Scholarship Award - 1995
- Duffin's Bay Public School Designed and Painted Wall Mural of School Mascot on Enterance Wall - 1996
- Duffin's Bay Public School Graduation Art Award - 1991
people and companies that i have worked for
• Stompin' Tom Connors
• Rocklands Entertainment
• Rita MacNeil
• ACT Records
• Lupins Productions
• Classic Country Music Reunion
• Tommy Hunter
• Frank Mills
• Gordon Lightfoot
• EMI Music Canada
• Universal Music Canada
• INCO Steel
• Pro-Bel
• Longview Advertising INC.
• Alders Sales Corporations
• Pillar Media
• The von Trapp Children
• Charley Pride
• Stephen Pride
• Peavey and the Skidders
• Kitty Wells
• Blue Rodeo
• Mickey Gilley
• Ambush
• Mark LaForme
• Oh What A Night!
• Four By Four
• Patti Page
• Roy Clark
• Red Green
• Mel Tillis
• John McDermott
• Alice Cooper
• Wayne Newton
• The Carlton Show Band
• The Cottars
• Live Lawrence Welk Show
• Ian Tyson
• Blackwood Quartet
• Ray Price
• Randy Travis
• Roger Whittaker
• Legends of Country Music
• Lorrie Morgan / Pam Tillis
• Dai Bassett
• Lucky Ron
• HellerTrip
• Nudie and the Turks
• Charlie Hillis Photography
• Sloane's House
• Oshawa Kicks Falcons
• MAK Media Group
• Landmark Storage Solutions
• Dynamic Alternative Energy
• Ricardo Diaz Photography
• IDNNA
• Avanti Systems
• New Image Fitness
• Canadian Pole Dance Artistry
• Roofing 101
• Area Code Self Storage
• Fierce Grip Supplies
• Ajax Rigette Association
• SHE Pole Dance + Body Bar
• Oxygen Snowboards
• Matthew Behm Landscaping
• Advanced Personal Training
• Voodoo Airbrushing
• Live Fire
• Favourite Son Shuttle Services
• 1st Mortgage
• Bodies By Design
• Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue
• LPA Solutions
• AES English Services
• Greater Madawaska Canoe Rental
• Airwall Services
• New Image Training Studios
• Full-Throttle Custom Trucks
• Strainge Guitars
• Kawartha Hawghunters
• Northumberlands North Stars
• Internet Memorials
• Joey's Only Seafood
• AccKnowledge Business Solutions
• Mr. Referrals Toronto
• Smokin' Mirrors Publishing
• Pyro Wear
• Audio Solve
testimonials from a few of my clients
tom connors jr.
- the connors family -
stompin tom limited
To those reading this, the Connors Family would like to take this opportunity
to express our thanks and appreciation to Mike Dunlop for nearly 20 years of
superb graphical design work on countless Stompin' Tom projects from CD
Releases, National Concert Tours, Website creation and maintenance, Merchandise
design, and countless other projects over that time that required the highest level
of professionalism and expertise.
Mike has done all this while maintaining a balanced, humble approach to everything he endeavors to do, resulting in nothing less than perfection while continually increasing the value of any product or service he is asked to enhance using his unique and vast knowledge of the Graphic Design Industry.
Furthermore, Stompin' Tom himself has on many occasions, expressed that Mike Dunlop and only Mike Dunlop be the one to handle sensitive and essential jobs such as in Toms passing, to conceptualize and create the Tombstone in which Tom now lays beneath to rest.
Lastly, and perhaps most important, putting his top notch Business ethics aside, Mike is a great person, and friend to our Family and we hope the relationship we have woven over the years continues to be as strong as ever.
Very Sincerely,
"The Connors Family"
brian edwards
- president -
rocklands entertainment
Since 1999 our company has used the services of Mykull Design for the creation of our web sites and graphic designs. As a result Michael Dunlop has worked on major projects for internationally known entertainers including Tommy Hunter, Stompin' Tom Connors, Rita MacNeil, Frank Mills, Charley Pride, Ray Price, Mel Tillis and Red Green, to name only a few.Personal service, creativity, attention to detail, and successful results are the main reasons we choose to stay with Mykull Design.
matthew behm
- owner -
matthew behm landscaping
I have had the pleasure of working with Mike for many years now. He has always impressed me with the creativity he comes up with for my projects. Whether it was redesigning my website or creating new business cards he always gives me multiple options to choose from.My clients always remark how well my website looks. It is my portfolio and sometimes the first thing my clients see about me and he nailed it!
mark watkins
- owner -
landmark storage solutions
I have worked with Mike Dunlop over the past five years. He has developed not only my website and online strategies but created marketing and logo materials for me as well. Mike is very good at what he does and always exceeds my expectations as far as a timeline goes in overall quality. I have recommended Mike and his company to Friends and family and they have been very happy with the services and quality they received as well. In a world of constantly changing technology and growing competition it's great to have someone like Mike on your side to help you keep relevant and successful. Thanks for all your help Mike.
jason kessel
- owner -
dg animation
What can I say about Mike Dunlop with completely gushing? I have the utmost respect for the man and have always had complete faith in his abilities as a graphic designer. I’ve known Mike since 2000 and I’m always blown away by his skills.As a fellow graphic designer myself, I’m often in awe of his work. I’m always extremely impressed with the clients he works with... even a little jealous. That said, sometimes I have too much on my plate to support incoming projects, so I always have faith in sending work to Mike. I know the client will be good hands. Mike Dunlop is a great artist and a true friend.
lora
- board member -
sloane's house
Working with Michael on our Not for Profit website design as well the maintenance was a painless and seamless process and we are thrilled with the end product.
matthew wilson
labour arbitrator
and mediator
I found Mike to be excellent to work with. He developed my corporate logo, letterhead and website. His creativity and ideas were excellent. After a brief discussion, he was able to create a design for my business that reflects both professionalism and identity.Mike was instrumental in the design and set up of my website with creative ideas and helpful suggestions. Most importantly, he kept it simple and straightforward so that I was not required to understand much about website design. Mike was always responsive to my needs and he continues to assist me with updates to my website.
I have no hesitation in recommending Mike to assist with logo design, website layout and maintenance.
jim henderson
- senior consultant -
accknowledge
A friend of mine had hired Mike for some design work and raved about his artistic ablities. So, I hired Mike to create a logo for my start up business. Super impressed by his skill and quality of work. When he presented me with multiple logo concepts it was VERY tough for me to simply pick one as they were all strong winners. He truly is outstanding to work with and needless to say, I will not hesitate to work with him again and refer others that are needing graphic design work by a true artist.
personal likes and hobbies
- Prop Building Having a obsession with constructing life size prop / mannequins to litter my office with has many people calling me crazy. It is some what of a pass time of mine that sure does take a lot of time to create a realistic version of a character from some of my favorite films. As soon as I start building one, I say to myself that this will be the final one I ever do, but then that soon becomes false and I'm onto another one to fill up space I actually don't have. So far in my collection stands - Darth Maul / Boba Fett / Jawa / R2D2 (work in progress) / Tusken Raider / Jason Vorhees / Freddy Kreugar / Mike Myers. They tend to be art pieces in themselves and I have featured them along with step by step photos on the creation of each within my 'prop' section.
- Photography Rather then relying on my iPhone camera to take photos, I do enjoy grabbing my Nikon to shoot some interesting subjects with. Now a days everyone has access to some sort of camera on their smart phone and can consider themselves a photographer thanks to all the photo filters and photography apps, bu sadly, what these photos tend to be missing is being taken by someone with a creative eye. To me its not about the technology that is used to take the photo, it is the actual photos ability to show the emotion that the subject is giving off at that exact 'moment'. Capturing 'that' exact moment is 'key'. I've included a few photography examples of my favourite shots that I have taken over the years here on my site under the photography section.
- Action Figure / Box Art I'm a nerd at heart, and a collector of many things but for myself collecting vintage to new action figures that are heavily detailed is another obsession of mine. Nothing give me more of a creative boost then seeing incredible box art for each and every piece I own. I don't collect for the money value of things, its just more of being a kid at heart and what has interested me over the years while I'm getting old.
- Timepieces Having a watch strapped around my wrist is like wearing a piece of 'art' more or less. Having something that brings attention to other watch enthusiast to ask questions about what I'm wearing is a great conversation piece. I'm a big fan of Nixon and Vestal brands to even a cool looking G-Shock are what usually catch my eye to purchase to add to my growing collection.
- Gaming Consoles / Gaming Ever since I was introduced to Pong on my childhood black and white TV I have been a fan for life of video game world. Being able to zone out even to this day playing solo, or online multiplayer games is where I can forget everyday life struggles and enjoy some quality time with some friends that are also into this leasure of life. My crawl space has quite the collection of all my old consoles that I just can't part with.
- Music I'm a avid music listener and collector of all genres. Nothing helps me more with getting creative then a certain selection of music that totally puts me in the mood. From Hip-Hop / Electronic / Folk / Country / Rock / Metal / Disco / Classical, you can say I'm pretty much into everything.
- Radio Controlled Vehicles I seemed to have always own some sort of remote controlled racing car or truck. First was a Radio Shack exclusive buggy that was called 'Off Road'. Little did I know that 'Off Road' meant to drive it in the dirt because I never took it outside thinking 'Off THE Road' meant 'carpet only'. So this buggy never left the protection of my house. Over the years I started to get more into the high performace hobby side of things. I now have a few vintage vehicles, one being a Tamiya Wild One that is now a shelf queen that I used while in my teen years. I've now moved up to brushless and lipo Traxxas Slash scene, but just have lost the time lately to get back into it as much as I would hope for.
- Master Chef at Home Being able to get creative in the kitchen is art in a round about way for me. Creating many differnet types of food dishes for family and friends to entertain with is a great way to leave the graphic world behind and design something that is eaten and enjoyed is a whole different world for me. If it is ever humanly possible to come back after we die, I will be back as a chef.
