Marshalltown man releases new book, calendar of artwork | News, Sports, Jobs

Troy Cannon of Marshalltown is an artist/illustrator known for his drawing ability, particularly of animals and scenes from nature. His latest book “Break-Time Sketching” and a 2026 watercolor calendar of his artwork are available to preorder.

“I believe I have always been interested in drawing and creating. I didn’t take it seriously until I wanted to be a tattoo artist when I was 15. I did that for a few years right out of high school, tattooing, but I wanted to go a different way and take my art to the next level,” he explained. “So I left that and for the last 10 years I have been studying and gaining more knowledge of the arts to push my work to higher levels and start my own art career by selling my own paintings, illustrations and doing commissions.”

Cannon was born in Louisiana but has lived most of his life in Iowa. He took numerous art classes in high school, followed by online courses. One through Udemy allowed him to study human anatomy and the basics of capturing people.

“Then through other artists I purchased MasterClasses. One of those artists is Greg Beecham, who is a world-renowned wildlife artist that mostly paints in oils. The other artist is Aaron Blaise who is an animator and wildlife artist. He has a website called creatureartteacher.com. Through there I have studied anatomy of animals, lighting, composition, watercolor techniques and charcoal techniques. Pretty much everything I need to do what I do,” he said. “I have also studied from other artists’ work that inspired me such as Bernie Wrightson, Frank Frazetta, Mike Mignola and David Finch. Studying these artists helped me to be able to do illustrations and work with pen and ink techniques that give me the ability to tell a story within my art.”

“Break-Time Sketching” features more than one hundred drawings and is 102 pages in length.

“(The theme) is all about taking a moment of the day to just draw and sketch, get ideas out, practice value, practice lighting, detail and just work out ideas from my mind,” Cannon noted.

The book can be pre-ordered (and signed) on his website now through Oct. 6, then available only through Barnes & Noble after that date.

He carries sketchbooks with him everywhere he goes.

“In the book you will see mostly sketches from my larger sketchbooks I used over the sum of these past few years. Other sketches were done individually or not in sketchbooks. I tend to draw these mostly in about 15 to 20 minute time periods, during times of my day where I had some time to take a break,” he said. “I mostly did these for practice, but I also do these to help with capturing gesture and accuracy. Most of the drawings in this book will be of animals. Lions, bears, birds, deer, and other wildlife creatures.”

The Watercolor Art of Troy Cannon 2026 calendar is centered on watercolor paintings he did within this past year for his YouTube channel. He posts time-lapses of himself creating, so you can see his process and follow along. His YouTube handle is @ArtistTroyCannonWildlifeArt.

These calendars, now in their second year, will only be available by pre-ordering them from his website. After pre-orders end on October 6, you won’t be able to get them any other way.

“Quite a few people would always ask me if I would do calendars or something of that nature ’cause sometimes original art can be pricey, and I come from a background of struggle, so I understand needing options to be able to enjoy things without breaking the bank. So, I decided to put together a few pieces in calendars and art books to make my art more accessible,” Cannon said.

He is giving away one of his original watercolor paintings to someone who pre-orders a book, a calendar, or both, and the winner will be chosen at random after the pre-orders end. Books and calendars will reach customers in late October/early November.

Cannon’s work has been featured in several art shows in Marshalltown since 2017, the latest being Seeing Anew: A Local View. He was also part of the Arts + Culture Alliance’s opening exhibition.

Three of his illustrations will be included in the upcoming Pen & Ink exhibition curated by Maddy Fusco. It is slated for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. October 3 at Mainframe Studios in Des Moines.

“Watching Troy Cannon releasing another book is inspiring,” said Amber Danielson, executive director of the ACA. “It’s a testament to the incredible talent we have right here in Marshall County, and we’re thrilled to support him as his creative journey grows.”

His previous publishing credit includes his first book “Illustrated Work of Troy Cannon.” He illustrated his wife Amber Cannon’s books “Through Clouds and Sunshine” and “Weathered in Wildflowers.”

Cannon is an environmentalist who donates portions of sales to shelters, sanctuaries, rehabilitation centers, conservations and/or wildlife preserves. To learn more about his work, and to pre-order the book and calendar, visit: www.cannontroyillustratorartist.com.