“For the 2023-2024 winter season, we’re opening 150+ acres of new expert terrain, named Hero’s, to skiers and riders on Aspen Mountain. To bring this new terrain to life, we worked with the uniquely talented illustrator, Rad Smith, to create an all-new, hand painted trail map.”
We’ve long been admirers of famed ski resort trail map illustrator James Niehues but with James retiring back in 2021 there’s a new painter in town that is taking up the mantle and producing these incredible pieces of functional art. Rad Smith was commissioned to paint the a new map for Aspen Mountain and this look behind his process is fascinating. Rad is one of the few people in the world with the combined skill, patience, ski industry knowledge and mastery with the brush the maps we rely on to navigate the mountain.
RELATED: James Niehues Passes The Trail Map Brush To Rad Smith
specializes in ski map products, cartographic illustration, and interpretive graphic design
Rad Smith is an illustrator, cartographer and graphic designer providing mapping solutions to the outdoor industry, as well in support of the interpretation of environmental resources. Rad’s work combines a range of traditional drawing and painting skills with technical mapping and illustration techniques. By this he provides accurate, but unique, visual solutions to a wide variety of end users.
Currently, Rad is focusing much of his time on the traditional methods of painting panoramic terrain maps. With this he hopes to achieve a more natural look and feel in an attempt to carry on a long tradition of hand-rendered panoramic artwork. With guidance from James Niehues and by referencing a variety of panoramic painters for inspiration, Rad continues to expand his mapping services to his growing list of clients.