Baby Smokey

digital illustration: 2022 • plush: 2024

This 8-inch plush began as an illustration that I made for "Ask Me!" stickers that faculty and staff members in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) could wear during student and public events. This was my first attempt at ever drawing Smokey, UT's beloved, goodest boy, and I was very nervous to share him with the public (hence the soft launch, if you will, of the illustration). I was shocked by how well he was received! From that simple sticker, a very big, very exciting dream of making an illustration into an actual stuffed animal was born!

Baby Smokey, the plush, was created in partnership with the UT Rocky Top Institute of Retail (RTIR), a student experiential learning program within the Department of Retail, Hospitality & Tourism Management in CEHHS, and my new friends in the Volshop. Every Baby Smokey plush purchase benefits students in the UT RITR, helping to give UT retail students real-world experiences in product development and merchandising, and brings them that much closer to achieving their dreams.

Shown here are the original illustration (drawn in Procreate), the sticker design (designed in Canva), the plush prototype (manufactured by Mascot Factory), and the finished product.

Baby Smokey is now available in stores and online through the UT Volshop!