jacob headley

About Jacob

Jacob Headley is an artist, illustrator and muralist based in the Greater Toronto Area.

His work spans original paintings, large-scale murals and digital illustration, usually with plenty of bold colour, exaggerated forms and playful ideas. While the medium, scale and subject may change, Jacob is consistently drawn to work that feels energetic, expressive and full of personality.

Jacob studied graphic design in college, but eventually realized that what interested him most wasn't design itself. It was illustration, painting, storytelling and the freedom to take an idea and figure out the best way to bring it to life. His path to working professionally as an artist wasn't particularly direct, and included starting a window cleaning business with his wife, Stephanie, which they still run together today.

Since then, Jacob's creative work has taken many forms, from commissioned and commercial illustration to original paintings and large-scale murals. He enjoys learning new techniques, working at wildly different scales and taking on ambitious projects that require creative problem-solving.

Despite the variety, there are a few things he keeps coming back to: colour, movement, personality, play and lots of joy.

Ultimately, Jacob tries to make work that he genuinely enjoys himself. The hope is that some of that excitement and joy makes its way to the viewer as well.

He also documents many of his projects on his YouTube channel, sharing the creative process behind the finished work.

When he's not making art, he's probably playing an instrument, learning something new, or becoming dangerously interested in another creative hobby.

A young woman with curly red hair working on a digital drawing tablet, an older man with glasses standing beside her, both focused on the device. The background features a corkboard with various drawings and notes, a framed picture on the wall, and a small photo collage.
A person wearing a gray hat, black gloves, a striped sweater, and a gray vest that reads 'Federal' on the sleeve, is painting a colorful cartoon-style artwork on a large canvas or wall. The artwork depicts a smiling girl with long blonde hair, holding a cup, with a bright yellow and orange background. The person is holding a paintbrush.
A person sitting in a blue office chair at a desk with a large sketch of cartoon characters on the surface, with a black and white wall drawing of cartoon characters in the background, and musical instruments on the wall.
A man in a light blue jacket and gray flat cap is painting a large mural of an octopus on a beige wall. The octopus is purple with pink and light blue accents and is holding a wine glass and a paintbrush. The room has white trim, a window with sunlight, and a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall in front of the mural.
A person in gray pants and a gray hoodie sits on the floor, working on a large colorful mural of hockey players on the wall. The mural includes players in yellow, black, and red jerseys, with dynamic poses and facial expressions. The person is holding a paintbrush and has a tablet or sketchpad nearby.