THE CHALLENGE 

The design needed to appeal to show's fanbase and to environmental advocacy. Rather than simply placing a dragon beside the Earth, I wanted the illustration itself to communicate protection and care. At the same time, it needed to work as wearable merchandise that host John Iadarola would feel excited to wear on-air. 

THE SOLUTION 

I illustrated an original dragon cradling the Earth in its arms, with its wings wrapping around the planet to subtly form the shape of a heart. The composition communicates both strength and compassion, reinforcing the idea of protecting the planet while celebrating the Dragon Squad community. 

The artwork was sketched in Procreate before being rebuilt as clean vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator, creating a bold graphic style inspired by classic fantasy T-shirt illustrations while remaining crisp enough for apparel production. The final design was released across T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, and tote bags and continues to be available in TYT's merchandise store. 

REFLECTION 

This project gave me the opportunity to combine illustration with graphic design in a professional setting. Working under a deadline taught me to focus on communicating a strong idea rather than chasing perfection, while still producing artwork that felt polished and expressive. It remains one of my favorite merchandise designs because it captures the personality of the show's community through a simple, memorable visual.