We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dan Orgill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always enjoyed drawing, ever since I was a young child. With a love of comic books I one day saw myself as a comic artist, but as is usually the case, interests change and other career paths are formed. I continued drawing as a teen and sporadically in my 20’s. I wasn’t bad, good enough to impress my friends. But no where even close to being a pro.

Following a divorce in 2002 I decided I wanted to start drawing again, but with the goal of bringing myself to a professional level. And so I began at the age of 32, but with the first goal of unlearning all the bad habits I had picked up along the way. I began taking basic drawing workshops, colored pencils, some watercolor, portrait drawing and eventually some oil painting workshops.

I practiced constantly, always trying to top myself and to learn form my mistakes. I set aside time each day for drawing, and rarely missed a session. I treated it like a job, in that it needed to be done. I still derived tremendous enjoyment from it, but the ultimate goal of paid professional work was always the target. That was the only path to improvement, for me.

Dan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a professional artist located in Ontario, Canada. I specialize in artwork related to comics, science fiction and sometimes pop culture. I work with traditional mediums, specializing in gouache ( opaque watercolor ). I focus on illustrations.

My ” product ” is painted artwork with a realistic feel. It’s my job to take the wish of the client and turn it into a physical thing, hopefully not just matching, but exceeding their expectations.

Getting into the industry has been a marathon, not a sprint. Social media, for better or worse, plays a big role in being seen by the world. I simply kept producing artwork, continued to share it and slowly gained a following. Some will find you by accident, others by word of mouth.

As far as setting myself apart from other artists, that is an increasingly difficult thing to do in today’s modern world. Art is everywhere, and easily accessible. One needs to produce high quality work to the best of their ability, every time. And setting yourself apart doesn’t stop with the finished product. Just as important is conducting myself like a professional in all aspects of this business.

I focus on a client piece as closely as I would something for myself. No detail overlooked, always bringing my best to ensure a happy customer. And that is what I do. I listen to the client, and let them know exactly how the process will unfold. I want them to be happy and confident using my services, with a knowledge they’ll receive something special at the end.

My biggest moment of pride was finally getting a professional assignment in 2019. After it was submitted and I was paid, it was my proof positive that I was finally good enough.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I think my entire artistic journey is a story about resilience. Not even counting my drawing and improvement during my younger days, it was a 17 year timeline from when I started drawing again in 2002 to getting my first paid professional work in 2019. I know some who may not wait that long. Not because they become disheartened, but they become impatient. I often wondered if it was ever ” going to happen “. Not really knowing but still forging ahead is a tough thing to do in any profession.

Art ( drawing, painting, sculpture ) is hard, period. It does indeed, require years of practice. Sometimes with little or nothing to show for it. I kept drawing & painting. And then did it some more. I sought out the opinions of pros. I was told more than a few times ” you’re not ready “. And still kept at it. To make myself ready. I was not going to fail.

And after 2019 and that first assignment, I haven’t been overwhelmed with professional jobs with too many to choose from. It’s still a grind, I’m still putting myself out there and pushing for that next job. Getting that first pro gig was a step, now it’s onto the next one. Getting more work, and hopefully, one day having people tripping over each other to hire me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

There is always the goal of regular, paid work. That is a given.

The ultimate goal for me? Creating & painting a comic book cover(s). And to even narrow that down, it would be a cover for The Incredible Hulk. Working on my all time favorite character and putting something out there for comic fans to see and even pay for ( ha! ) is the brass ring of my art career.

And no, I have no idea if it will ever come to pass. But I will absolutely keep pushing towards that goal, until it either happens or my drawing hand gives out.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.danorgillart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danorgillart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.orgill.7/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanOrgill1
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Dan Orgill