Artist and illustrator Adam Bunch has always had an active imagination, whether he was drawing his favorite cartoon characters as a kid or utilizing his skills to create some of the art behind Disney’s collectable card game “Lorcana.”

Bunch, based in the Rogue Valley, has been a freelance illustrator for almost two decades, bringing his imagination alive through his drawings and graphic designs.

While he’s displayed his art on social media over the years and built up a following of fans, working with Disney means Bunch’s illustrations are going on game cards across the globe.

“I think it’s a huge thrill just to be part of it and to be able to enjoy the success of this big project that all these people put so much work and love into, because that’s what I like to put into my own work,” Bunch said of “Lorcana.” “It’s great to share that part of myself to a wider audience, because that’s what I’ve always wanted to do with my art.”

Bunch’s cartoonish art style was inspired by Disney films from its Nine Old Men era, Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera films as well as insights from watching his father illustrate.

“About as far back as I can recall, I was watching my dad draw because he was a cartoonist before he really got into illustration and fine art,” Bunch said of his father, Paul Bunch. “I just really wanted to draw like my dad.”

When he wasn’t observing his father or watching his favorite movies and TV shows, Bunch was studying the skills and techniques of illustration from realism-based art to cartoon styles.

“I would check out books from the library on how to draw basic forms and things like that and build it into something; one of my favorites was the “Draw 50” books by Lee Ames,” he said.

Bunch was greatly influenced by the animation of Disney, with “The Little Mermaid” being among his favorite childhood films. While many of the great classic Disney animators inspired Bunch, one of the Nine Old Men stands out.

“One name that stands out is Milt Kahl. He was one of the Nine Old Men and he designed a lot of the more expressive characters,” Bunch said.

“I have other outside influences for style, everything from the comic book realm to old film posters,” Bunch added.

The local illustrator’s commitment to art and gradually increasing his skills and versatility eventually led him from a Disney fan to someone who works with Disney through “Lorcana.”

Bunch joined the art team for Ravensburger — the game company collaborating with Disney for “Lorcana” — in 2021.

“I was enjoying posting my art and sharing it on my social platforms, and then at one point I get this email from somebody who says they’re from Ravensburger and that they’re working on this Disney ‘Lorcana’ game,” Bunch said. “I got in on the second release of the ‘Rise of the Floodborn,’ and about a year and a half or so before the release was when I was contacted.”

The job allows creative liberty for Bunch to stretch his imagination while drawing characters that are “on brand” — industry lingo for an illustration that’s consistent and fits an established look.

“It’s a pretty straightforward freelance type of structure. I work with an art director, I’m given a brief to work from that has the description and it has the reference and all the things I need to look at,” Bunch said. “The difference is it’s Disney … that comes with a lot of weight to it and it comes with the excitement of being a part of it, but it also comes with a certain set of standards and practices.”

Bunch’s first “Lorcana” card that he illustrated was Chief Bogo, a buffalo police chief from the 2016 film “Zootopia.”

“For me, the most exciting part is being able to work alongside all these other great artists,” he said. “I think one of the biggest rewards is being able to be part of something so big and exciting that everybody’s really into, and it’s an added bonus to see your work printed on a card that a lot of people get to see and collect — that’s like the icing on the cake.”

In recent years, Bunch has been able to connect with the local pop culture scene in the Rogue Valley, attending Rogue Comic Con this year as a featured artist.

“Community has always been a part of my art and my art life from my earliest stuff like entering my art in county fairs and being part of the 4H program,” he said.

Bunch intends to continue his “Lorcana” work and establish his own online store for his art in 2024.

Outside of his artistry, “I enjoy reading novels, I enjoy going to art shows and galleries and I enjoy fitness,” he said.

To learn more about Bunch and view his latest work, see his Instagram or visit adamisarting.com.