Cody Kuehl Limited Digital Layered Prints

Cody Kuehl paints moment of impact paintings of the west that capture the western spirit with his unique blend of painting and illustration.  All of Cody's art begins as drawings from imagination, reference photos, and inspiration from different moments in pop culture. These moment of impact images are designed to use the tropes of the western genre to tell the stories without using specific characters or pop culture images, but instead let the viewer tell their own tale.  

The next step in the artistic process includes inking the drawing digitally using Procreate and a drawing stylus.  When the drawing is rendered into the black lines from the drawing, Cody finalizes the black lines of the drawing in multiple digital layers. The next step is to digitally print the black lines onto multiple layers of the plexiglass panels in reverse.  After Cody has the panels prepared with the black lines he assembles the panels in reverse with hardware attached to the hardwood backer that has been painted with an abstract acrylic pour.   

All the originals are then reverse painted onto the plexiglass.  The interesting thing with reverse painting is that it requires all contrast to be painted in on the first pass.  The first marks that are made on the back of the plexi are the last marks that the audience sees.  There is only one shot to get the initial tones of the painting correct.   

Once the reverse painting is complete, the panels are turned back to the front facing orientation and bolted together.  For most of the originals, Cody will add highlights and motion splatter to the front to add a final element of action to the image.  The result is a three dimensional cell-shaded original that captures the life and depth of the west.  

There are other versions of limited edition digital mixed media pieces.  These are very limited multi layer prints that have been fully digitally drawn.  These prints have the same style and action as the original art, and are highly limited to 5 of the larger images and 25 of the smaller ones.  The fully digital mixed media pieces have the same feel as the originals but have a different level of detail and approach that sometimes can't be replicated with analog paint.
Cody Kuehl is a self-taught contemporary painter known for his dynamic “moment of impact” interpretations of the American West. Born and raised in Northern Colorado, Cody spent his formative years raising, training, and showing draft horses with his family—a foundation that deeply informs the themes of grit, tension, and myth in his work.

After honing his skills with pop-surreal mini paintings in college, Cody shifted his focus to building an art career.  His paintings explore and challenge the ethos of the American character, offering a stylized, modern lens on frontier iconography.

Cody now lives and paints in Longmont, Colorado, and serves as the board president of the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art.
6 products
  • New
    “Close-up of tense Western standoff with two gunslingers reaching for revolvers in a dusty town – ‘Unstoppable Force’ by Cody Kuehl, 20x30 inch graphic comic-style cowboy artwork.”
    $1,500.00
    $1,500.00
    Sold out
  • New
    “Stylized Western woman in mid-spin wielding dual revolvers with a determined expression and red scarf – ‘Turn the Other Cheek’ by Cody Kuehl, 9x17 inch comic-inspired female gunslinger art.”
    $500.00
    $500.00
    Sold out
  • New
    “Stylized Western gunslinger wounded in a snowy mountain shootout, mid-action with revolvers drawn – ‘This Meant So Much’ by Cody Kuehl, 11x17 inch pop surrealist cowboy artwork.”
    $500.00
    $500.00
    Sold out
  • New
    “Dramatic Western standoff in a burning forest with four armed cowboys surrounded by flames and smoke – ‘This Could Be the Hill’ by Cody Kuehl, 11x17 inch cinematic comic-style Western artwork.”
    $500.00
    $500.00
    Sold out
  • New
    “Stylized Western gunslinger in a burning town turning back with a revolver in hand – ‘I Want You to Know This Thing I’m Feeling’ by Cody Kuehl, 20x20 inch dramatic Western comic-style artwork.”
    $1,000.00
    $1,000.00
    Sold out
  • New
    “Two cowboys in a dramatic Wild West gunfight on a dusty frontier street with bold comic-style splatter effects – ‘Run the Dice’ by Cody Kuehl, 11x17 inch narrative Western artwork.”
    $500.00
    $500.00
    Sold out