Arik Roper is a freelance illustrator and painter based in New York City. Born in New York City, Roper grew up in Richmond, Virginia. His parents both being artists, his creativity was encouraged and he spent a great deal of time drawing. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts in 1995 specializing in illustration and silk-screening, he began as a freelance storyboard artist for various ad agencies, and a storyboard revisionist for MTV Animation. Later he was able to exercise more creative and personal styles while shifting into the world of music-related visual art and packaging. Roper has since developed a name and devoted following creating record covers and music merchandise for a wide variety of bands including cult underground legends such as Earth, Buzzoven, Sunn O))), Sleep, Howlin' Rain, Grand Magus and High on Fire, as well as more mainstream acts like The Black Crowes.