Illustrations copyright Ruby Scoville 2025, all rights reserved.
Hi, hello, and howdy!I’m Ruby Scoville, an ever so particular illustrator hailing from the ol’ boondocks of Upstate New York. My work is mainly mixed media in mediums such as gouache, ink, and digital. The aim in my projects is to evoke a specific bygone charm inspired by artists such as Marc Davis and Barabra Shermond, but with a contemporary flair brought out through eye catching color palettes.I honed my practice at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and their satellite campus in Utica New York, where I earned the Outstanding Freshman Award in my first year and the Illustration Honors Award in my second. I have also received Pratt’s Lewin Scholarship awarded to top performing students in my department and was featured as a student to watch in Graphic Design USA.When I’m not writing and illustrating my own projects, I’m probably watching pre-code Hollywood silent and talkie films, especially those starring Harold Lloyd or James Cagney. I could also be reading one of dozens of books from a list of titles that I will likely never get through all of. Right now, I’m enjoying “Harpo Speaks” by, you guessed it, Harpo Marx. It’s a delightful tale which I encourage you to pick up a musty old copy of.
Look me up @rubylubird on Instragram or contact me through [email protected]
TILLIE OF CONEY ISLAND
These are six of thirty-eight digital illustrations from a children's book I wrote about the history of Steeplechase Park in Coney Island. Interpreting the park's frightening mascot "Tillie" into something that kept his spirit while making him appealing for a younger audience was a delightfully fun challenge.
REEL BOMB WAS REAL BOMB
The text component of this project is sourced from Annette D'Agostino Lloyd's biography on silent film icon Harold Lloyd. The story of how the star lost his hand in a terrifying (yet fittingly comical) accident has fascinated me for years.
THE FELLOW 'HERMAN'
A trio of pictures created to accompany an essay on the beauty and truth of Pee-wee Herman, the man who created himself.
A COMEDY OF MURDERS
The original release poster for Charlie Chaplin's 1947 film Monsieur Verdoux leaves a lot to be desired in terms of communicating the wonderful atmosphere the picture possesses, so I have done my best to get it across here.
HEAVENS!
This series severed as preparatory concept art for an animated short which I was a collaborator on. With its themes of lonliness and self discovery, this project resonated with me on a very personal level.
CONTEMPORARY ISOLATION
These illustrations came out of a two hour exercise which explored the realities of living in an era where physical communities have been replaced by digital spaces.
AVIARY
These concept pieces are a few from a broader series which sought to reinvent a piece of media which was not well received upon its release. My rehabilitation of choice was Richard Franklin's 1982 Psycho II. A written outline of my reworked version also accompanied this set of illustrations.
THE CURSE OF CAPISTRANO
A series of spot illustrations for Jonstson McCulley's novel The Mark of Zorro. My intent was to furnish the story with a giddier tone than many illustrated versions as I find that the comical hijinks found in the text are often overlooked.
CANDLELIGHT
An ongoing personal project rooted in childhood reminiscence.
A sneak peek at a heavily illustrated narrative project which I will complete as my senior thesis at Pratt Institute.
