The Fine
not so fine
Artwork
of Dan Nelson
My Illustrations
The artist I am today has been shaped by three influential factors: the sheer joy of creation, the necessity of meeting client deadlines, and the determination fueled by the ever-present threat of starvation.
There is nothing in the world that teaches you how to draw like being a freelance illustrator. I’ve done it for nearly 50 years. Here’s how the business works:
Ring-a-ling-a-ling. (Old fashioned phone ring)
“Hello, this is Dan.”
“Uh wha-wa wah WAHwuh,uh wuhhh ?”
(That’s an ad agency asking me if I can illustrate a particular THING in a particular MEDIUM and a specific STYLE — often one that I’ve never tried before.)
“Sure, I can do that.” (The answer was always “Yes!” )
How much? No problem!
By tomorrow? You bet!
Okay, Bye.
Up most of the night. New technique mastered, job delivered. On time.
Although most of what I do these days goes under the heading of “fine art”, I still do some illustration from time to time. Here is some of the work I have done over the years in various categories
And finally— just for fun— Click either of these images to see what an artist might do . . .with family . . .at Christmas . . . for over 50 years.
And finally— just for fun— Click either of these images to see what an artist might do . . .with family . . .at Christmas . . . for over 50 years.
