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For as long as I can remember, drawing has always been my favorite thing to do. |
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I used to pretty much just draw superheroes. The Hulk, Captain Caveman and Mighty Mouse were big favorites. Once in a while I would take a break and ride my bike. My favorite book growing up was The Sailor Dog, by Margaret Wise Brown. It's got really cool illustrations by Garth Williams. I still have my copy from when I was little. |
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As I got a little older, I moved away from superheroes, and on to barbarians, dragons and ninjas.When I was 12, I started taking lessons with author/illustrator Robert J. Blake. He taught me a whole lot about drawing, design, and color. I learned about how to draw things from life. He also taught me how to paint. In his class, we would draw and paint still-lifes, portraits, and sometimes landscapes outside. I also started to learn about the book making process from him, thus giving me the idea to pursue a career! | |
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After high school, I went to The Art Student's League of New York. There I studied life drawing with Jack Henderson, and then with Michael Burban, and painting with Harvey Dinnerstein. During my time there, I learned a whole lot more about painting and drawing realistically. Even though my illustration style isn't very realistic, I use what I learned from those instructors every time I pick up my pencil. |
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After college, I realized the best way for me to combine my love of books and art was to try and be a children's book illustrator. I was very excited the day I found out a story I wrote was going to be turned into a real book. After several re-writes and 32 pages worth of illustrations, I had my first book published: The Dog Who Loved the Good Life. |
Since then, I have illustrated nearly twenty books as well as various magazine spots. My client list includes Henry Holt & Co., Harcourt, Inc., Scholastic, Inc., Harper Collins, Magination Press, Sterling Publishing, Fernleigh Books, Educator's Publishing Service, Hooked on Phonics, Reading Rainbow, Nick,Jr. Magazine, Cobblestone Magazine, Tristan Publishing, Smarterville, Inc., Sylvan Learning Centers, and McGraw-Hill. I currently live in a very old house in Upstate New York with my wife Nikki and our son, Oliver. |
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