Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dan Orgill. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dan, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The learning process involved in being a visual artist is never ending. There’s always something new to try, a technique you haven’t discovered and the occasional ” A-Ha ” moment when something clicks and you wonder how you didn’t see it before.

Learning to draw and paint for me, has mostly been self directed. I drew as a kid & teenager, then on/off through my 20’s. At 32 I decided that I wanted to be able to perform at a professional level and directed my focus to stricter academic exercises to undo all the bad habits I’d picked up over the years. Art workshops, books and online videos became my classroom, so to speak.

Besides learning to be your own worst critic, consistency will go a long way to developing your skill set. You need to show up and practice, often times when you just would rather be doing anything else but that. And it’s tougher if you don’t have any in-person guidance. When you’re alone and flailing away at the art table, it can be very frustrating, and many times an outside opinion would have made things much smoother.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

According to my parents, I was drawing at a very young age. I always loved comic books, so copying covers and panels from books was a perfect way to spend a day as a kid. So the drawing bug bit me very early in life.

As a ( occasionally ) working artist, I specialize in art related to comics, pop culture & science fiction. I’ve done a few posters related to TV shows, and some comic book cover work as well. It’s my job to help bring a client’s vision to life, which is often simple if they have a firm idea. Or, I need to flesh it out for them, which is part of the job.

In terms of standing out from other artists, I offer fully painted work, which is often not the case these days. Many artists work in digital mediums, and they produce some beautiful works. I prefer the tactile feel or working with pencils & paints on actual paper. Just my preference. This is certainly an advantage when it comes to commissions, as all my clients want and receive an actual painting.

I think the best thing I’ve done for myself is meeting deadlines and being professional in every area of the process; from intial consultations to the finished product and even with payments. Word of mouth is very important and I’ve always done my best to ensure clients are happy.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience pretty much defines my entire journey as an artist. Even if I only count the years from the age of 32, when I decided to be a pro, not just a hobbyist; I practiced mostly everyday, while still working full time. I took courses and worked around my schedule, sometimes using vacation time to accomodate attending a class or workshop.

I spent countless hours trying to re-learn even the basics, sometimes not coming out any further ahead, in my eyes.

It took me 17 years until I finally got my first professional assignment at the age of 49. And that didn’t exactly open the floodgates to more work, as I still had to keep pushing to maintain what little momentum I had gained. At 55 years old, I’m still trying to find my place in the art world, whatever that may be.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Many non-creative people tend not to understand the process or even how I might go about creating art in general.

From the start of a project which includes concepts, rejected concepts, more concepts and moving onto the finished product, with possible revisions or other unforseen issues. It can be a real grind, and sometimes not at all enjoyable. We don’t always love to draw & paint, and the urge to do it is not always there. BUT, actually doing it when we don’t want to is sometimes what separates the pro from the amateur.

Another thing that surprises people is that I’m not always ” inspired “. I am, however, motivated, and they are two different things. I want to do projects and get paid for them, so I’m motivated to do them well, to the best of my ability and on time. If I only drew and painted when inspiration struck, I’d have a very small body of work.

And I guess the final thing that some folks don’t understand or even agree with is a controversial opinion that I, and many artists I know, hold.

Talent is a myth. There is no such thing.

I don’t believe in it, period. What I put down on paper is a developed skill set. Now, I absolutely believe that if I didn’t like drawing I wouldn’t be as good at it. Enjoying an activity increases your chances of continuing with and getting better at it. And maybe there’s something in the way I process and use visual information that allows me to be a better artist than others, I’ll grant that.

But the reason I’ve gotten to where I am? Working on the skill set, relentlessly. Not relying on so-called talent and believing that will carry me through, because it won’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.danorgillart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danorgillart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.orgill.7/
• Twitter: https://x.com/DanOrgill1

Image Credits

All artwork creatd by the author, Dan Orgill