Dan Wolff is an Art of Austin artist! Get to know more about him and his work!
Dan Wolff
AoA – How long have you been in Austin and how did you find your way here?
Dan – I have been in Austin for a little over six years, all thanks to the bats. Actually, a visit to Austin when I was 10 years old left an impression on me that stuck until I had gotten through college and was looking for a change of scenery. I remembered liking Austin and a few of the things it boasted, and I packed up with my girlfriend at the time and moved out here. Been keeping it weird ever since.
AoA – When did you realize that you were an artist?
Dan – Since I was a kid. As early as kindergarten, I was “the drawer” in school. And even before that, I would never be without something to draw with and something to draw on. My first art lessons were Bob Ross and Blitz on Cartooning on PBS. It also didn’t hurt that my grandfather was an Artist.
AoA – Can you speak to your art training?
Dan – Self taught in the beginning, I had fine art and drawing classes all through high school, and then I continued my formal training into college. I studied Design foundations at the University of Cincinnati’s Design Art Architecture and Planning (DAAP) school, learning the fundamentals of composition, color, and craft. Then I moved on to specialize in Illustration and comics under the instruction of acclaimed comic artist Carol Tyler.
AoA – Who are some artists that you look to?
Dan – I have a strong affection for printmakers and illustrative artists of history. Albrecht Durer, Paul Gustav Dore, Francisco de Goya, and Russian Illustrator Ivan Bilibin. From the comic art world, Jack Kirby, Mike Mignola, and Bernie Wrightson have had the strongest effect on my sensibilities, instincts, and on valuing pure creative talent.
AoA – Where do you derive inspiration from?
Dan – I get inspired from the great work of other artists, writers, and storytellers. Reading stories like folktales and myths have always been fertile places from which ideas have come. If I have a creative block on how to depict something, I usually look to an artist that inspires me and see how they approach the subject matter, as that will clearly show me a great way to make it happen. Great art and stories inspire great art and stories.
AoA – Can you tell us about what your work is concerned with?
Dan – I am a storyteller, and so I feel a need to be as communicative and narrative with the pieces I create. I illustrate characters, I paint the world they live in, I show who they are by what they do. I want to say as much as I can with a single image, so that the viewer can get the best possible notion of the greater story beyond it. And if they create a story in their head to match what they see, all the better.
AoA – Can you talk a little about your creative processes in creating?
Dan – Thumbnails come before almost every piece to get the composition right, unless it stands out clearly in my mind up front. Pencils go down first to construct my anatomy, major design elements and values for the piece. A tip that i got from my mentor Carol has stuck with me: “save your details for the inks”. I try to leave as much of the details, textures and choices for the inking portion of every drawing. That is when I get to play the most. And the final step is color, or tone, if that applies. And that is done either by painting inks, or digitally.
AoA – Big question. What do you feel the role of art is in the world?
Dan – Art is a way to interpret life through a personal lens or emotion. It can be narrative, abstract, interactive, or static, but in all forms I think it should attempt to engage the viewer about something. Art CAN be for the artist, but it should not ONLY be for the artist.
AoA – If you could own 1 piece from a living artist, who would it be?
Dan – Literally any piece from Mike Mignola would give me so much joy.
AoA – What else do you enjoy besides making art?
Dan – I love movies, animals, writing, legos, nature, and Indian food.
AoA – Thanks for speaking with us, Dan! We look forward to following your work!
Connect with Dan!
Wolff Of La Mancha
Three Panel Origin
Instagram – Dan Wolff
Instagram – Three Panel Origin
