Hard work and belly laughs
Introduction
My name is Nick Volkert, I'm an artist and creative living in Northwest Chicagoland.
I'm a classically trained illustrator and painter, receiving a BFA in Illustration and an MFA in Painting both from Northern Illinois University. I currently illustrate digitally, converting pen and ink illustrations to prints and tee designs.
During the day I'm a UX/UI, Logo, Branding and Icon Designer creating experiences that meet user needs and meet business goals for my company Volkert Design, LLC.
In my off-hours I like to paint, create comics, attend way too many concerts, play drums, and, in addition I'm a diehard White Sox fan.
I have created a TON of comics, illustrations and art for you to check out, hope you find something you like!
Crisp air and crisp leaves
Fall Series
Time to cozy up in your warm jackets blankets and pumpkin flavored things!
Created: January 25th, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
During the cold season, bears like to bulk up with a couple donuts and a hot coffee! It's going to get chilly out there, why not treat yourself!?
Created: August 27th, 2021 | Role: Illustrator
FACT: Sharks like to bust out their scarves and mittens and have pumpkin spice lattes during decorative gourd season.
Created: October 25th, 2023 | Role: Illustrator
FACT: Don't get in the water and between a shark and it's appetite for some October pumpkin destruction this Halloween!
Getting real spooky up in here
Halloween Designs
A selection of my most frightful designs from over the years. Pen, ink and a little bit of spooky!
Created: October 27th, 2023 | Role: Illustrator
FACT: If sharks spend enough time with jack o'lanterns in the cool salty ocean waters on All Hallows Eve, they may in fact become one themselves!
Created: October 27th, 2018 | Role: Illustrator
My character Captain Pancake is in the super spooky Halloween spirit and remade as a stack of scary pumpkin-flavored pancakes!
Created: July 16th, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
Who invited the freakin werewolf?! No matter the season, when the pool is a rockin’ and it happens to be a full moon, this werewolf is here to get down!
The season of ice, cold and snow is upon us!
Winter Series
A selection of designs about the coldest season that hopefully bring you warmth and joy!
Created: December 10th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator
Fact: Goon sharks aren't afraid to lose some teeth (they grow back anyway).
“Annoyed IL Birds: The Cardinal”
Created: January, 2015 | Role: Illustrator
Just cause it's the state bird of Illinois, doesn't mean it isn't SO OVER winter and ready for warmer weather.
Created: December 26th, 2024 | Role: Illustrator
Christmas is over, the holidays are nearly done, and this grizzly bear is all tuckered out and ready to hibernate yesterday, but still has to muscle through to New Years! If he can do it, you can too!
Pen, Ink, and Cintiq!
Latest Illustrations
I love making personal works that I use as a vehicle to explore to constantly learn the programs I use on my day to day, and push my artistic abilities.
Created: September 26th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
The Fall Chicken is enjoying a coffee while multi-colored leaves fall to the ground. So what if it has a tiny chicken head, it's cozy and STYLING.
“Shockingly Inept Carpenter Log”
Created: August 9th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
This log is really bad at carpentry. Those digits should grow back since it's a log right? Maybe? Nail em back on possibly? In any case, big yikes.
Created: July 16th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
In the land of corn far into the country, one can only be judged by the size of your farm, and chickens, and the LARGEST chicken. Right?
Created: April 18th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
The sea can be harsh and lonely, but this weathered old log is proud to fish for his community and take a breather on a bounty of fish!
Created: April 13th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
Super tough, super buff and hard as a piece of wood, it's the gym log! Did he just get to the gym? Finish some reps? Who knows, it's a LOG.
Created: March 21st, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
No better way to ring in Spring than getting decked out for St Paddy's and indulging in a few green DONUTS. May the Luck of the Irish be with ye!
Created: March 11th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
This shark is so lucky! Surrounded by donuts and wearing some green for St Patrick's Day, this shark is devouring a few tasty pastries for the big day!
Created: January 27th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
This little breakfast helper robot was in the toaster just a bit too long! The burnt toast robot, while a bit upset he's overdone, is still here to help!
Created: January 1st, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
Why not be the best looking shark in all of the sea! That's what this shark was thinking with his ascot and top hat. SO FANCY!
Join the Danger Huskie Danger Team
Danger Huskie
Vector works that a fun, cute, scary, and a bit dangerous!
Created: September 26th, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
Are you so cool that even without some cool sunglasses you'd still be cool? Then you might actually be a chill alpaca, who is the COOLEST.
Created: October 20th, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
It's the spookiest time of the year and why not reminisce on the juggernauts and figures of Chicago's hockey past! The Mad House! Where hockey reigned.
Created: October 11th, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
Let's go Chicago! Here's a super looking donut rooting for the city and local football team with a sweet little, always iconic, Chicago city flag!
Spooky works of unspeakable horror!
Ghost-Eyed Cat
It's my Halloween project of unspeakable horror! The Ghost-Eyed Cat! Tread with caution!
Created: October 20th, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
Something lurks in the mud, vines and the blood moon at full strength! A curious and frightening creature stirs with a jack o'lantern face!
Created: September 21st, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
When out trick or treating on Halloween, you may notice that some of the fellow kids might not even be of this mortal coil anymore! Be careful!
Created: August 18th, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
Apples have fallen from the trees, some have been turned to zombies from evil green worms and have hopped on a skateboard to infect us all!
I write jokes too
Comics! (Eventually books)
I used to pay the bills as a cartoonist at the Northern Star during my Undergraduate and Graduate studies at Nothern Illinois Univeristy. I've always loved comics and was an illustation major to be a comics illustrator (that old cliché). Nonetheless and when the time allows, I love to write and draw works for my friends and social media followers. Big things in the works!
Mondays are the worst
Monday Comic
Just a weekly comic I started celebrating everyone's least favorite day of the week.
Created: January, 2026 | Role: Illustrator
Boogers! It's weird booger season in my neck of the woods and hope you are enjoying whatever weirdness that rockets out of your nose this cold Winter!
Created: July, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
Happy to report after another wild and rowdy 4th of July, my fingers are still intact! Still have all my digits! So I can keep creating comics and art!
Created: June, 2025 | Role: Illustrator
It's a hot one out and another scorcher today. You hot? Well the creatures of the forest are too! Bring them in and cool off to a movie or something.
Comics about a wonderful future gal pal
Dear Future Girlfriend
Another weekly comic that started as a series of smart-assed Facebook posts and grew into a comic!
Created: October 8th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Aint no smash dancing like the smashing of pumpkins, smash dancing.
“Chainsaw alarm clock (Repost)”
Created: October 4th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
You'll make sure I'm up for work on time, albeit with an accelerated heartbeat, during cool weather sleepy season.
Created: July 17th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
If it doesn't work out, we'll at least have this in common, forever.
A helpful little arachnid
Helpful Spider
Always helpful!
Created: January 2025 | Role: Illustrator
The cold weather is intense, too intense for little spiders in fact. So while the Helpful Spider is frozen solid, you're kind of on your own for a bit.
Created: June 2023 | Role: Illustrator
Helpful Spider noticed the weather has warmed up and is ready to be helpful for the rest of the year!
Created: January 2023 | Role: Illustrator
Helpful Spider is on the ready in case things get weird, which they probably will, so yeah.
Comics usually on Thursdays
The Thursday Treat
Ongoing comics that are sometimes funny, of various amounts of panels, subject manner, and typically on Thursdays, but not on a more fun day like Friday.
Created: September 28th, 2017 | Role: Illustrator
Can the taco not only be a great delivery vehicle for meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream, but also a wildly un-aerodynamic car?
Created: July 6th, 2017 | Role: Illustrator
A tale of a TRex drummer that has a mean heavy and menacing kickdrum style, but lacks a bit with rhythms on the hi-hat and snare.
Created: February 5th, 2016 | Role: Illustrator
The Thursday Treat is a well of knowledge of helpful, albeit questionable, tips on keeping yourself warm during a frigid Winter.
For personal & professional brands!
Logos
Logo Design! Check out some logo designs for personal and professional brands, built from the grounds up with custom fonts, colors, graphics and more!
Created: 2025 | Role: Designer
Ghost-Eyed Cat with a little logo refresh for my project launch. Wanted to make the character a little more recognizable as a cat and also add some color.
Created: 2025 | Role: Designer
Aries Artificial Intelligence is here! I had an idea for a more retro robot dude with a CRT monitor and face but with a modern feel.
Created: 2025 | Role: Designer
Third time is a charm! My third iteration of the Volkert Design logo for my new studio. Wanted it to have a small town Midwestern feel for this version.
Abstract works on canvas and board
Abstract Art
Check out work I made in pursuit of my MFA in Grad School at NIU, and beyond.
2005
A piece that ended up looking like the side of an actual boxcar, or maybe a vintage refrigerator, that I was able to preserve in time with oil paint.
Oil on wood panel
24 in. x 24 in.
available|$1,750
2006
A spooky vibe came over me when I created this work. Using orange and black to make a layered abstract work that feels right at home during Halloween.
Latex acrylic on wood panel
24 in. x 24 in.
available|$1,700
2006
Meant as an homage to our veterans that lost their lives in service, this piece has a frantic application of red, white, and blue, with bits of gold on canvas.
Latex acrylic on wood panel
48 in. x 48 in.
available|$2,200
Reading, it's for your eyeballs!
Related Blogs
Tips, tricks, work stories, short stories, and random musings.
Created: January 13th, 2025 | Role: Author
Check out a few of my favorite works since starting in the tee design game in the late 2000's.
Created: January 16th, 2021 | Role: Author
A few tips for JR UX Designers out there looking to gain more skills and be a more proficient UX Designer.
Created: January 2nd, 2021 | Role: Author
It's cold, miserable, the roads are dangerous, so it's time to get creative while you're huddled up in your warm home.