David R. Darrow

David Robert Darrow, (born June 16, 1957), is an American-born painter, illustrator, graphic designer and painting instructor. His career in art began in 1980 and continues primarily in the field of portrait painting. He has illustrated for advertising and film promotion, including preliminary art (or comps) for many films, including "Back to the Future III", "Terminator 2", and "Jurassic Park" as well as key poster art (final art) for "Return of the Killer Tomatoes", "" and "What Comes Around" as well as others (the latter two having had their key art replaced since the 1980s).
Besides illustrating romance and adolescent adventure book covers, film promotion and advertising art, storyboards and comps, Darrow is a fine artist painting in the style of classical realism and impressionism. He is also the host of an internet broadcast presented from his home studio, presently in San Jose, CA, and which he started in April 2008 in Oceanside, CA.
Early Life and Education
David attended California Elementary, Costa Mesa, CA and Paseo del Rey Elementary, Playa del Rey, CA, Orville Wright Middle School, Los Angeles, CA (then: Orville Wright Jr. High School) and graduated with honors from Westchester High School, Los Angeles, CA. In the 2nd grade of elementary school Darrow discovered his strong interest in drawing and painting which continued into junior high where his skills were put to use by the yearbook staff, illustrating random pages and a spread in the 1972 yearbook. In high school, Darrow focused on art technique in his courses, again illustrating various sections of the 1974 yearbook "Flight." This is where his art teachers directed him toward a career in art suggesting study at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, in January 1980.
Early career
Full time Art Job
Darrow was hired right out of college by the Graphic Arts Department of General Dynamics, Convair Division in San Diego, California. After 9 months, Darrow was laid off in a company-wide downsizing at which time he met with San Diego-based freelance illustrator Darrell Millsap who encouraged him to work freelance as well.
Freelance Illustration
In 1981 Darrow began freelancing as an illustrator working from his home for various advertising agencies and design studios in San Diego, eventually branching out to publishers and designers in other parts of the country. He created covers for 8 of the 12 books in The Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn (all cover art has been updated with other artist's work since that time), all book covers for the series The Homeschool Detectives by John Bibee, romance book covers for Harlequin Enterprises, the cover art for "Promised Land" by Connie WIllis and Cynthia Felice, as well as many local San Diego projects.
* Darrow was contracted by FTL Games to illustrate the box cover of their first computer game Sundog:Frozen Legacy, an international best-seller at that time, built for the Atari ST computer platform. This led to other cover art for FTL Games including the box art for OIDS and Dungeon Master, also originally for the Atari ST.
* Working with FTL Games' Wayne Holder and and their team sparked in Darrow an interest in computers, especially due to Holder's spell-check program "The Word Plus", one of the earliest home-computer spell-checkers created. This led to a long-term relationship with Solana Beach, California-based Kaypro Computers where Darrow illustrated for their self-published national ProFiles Magazine, and traded some of his work for his first computer, a Kaypro 10.
Teaching
* 1984-1986 San Diego State University --- "Advance Art Techniques"
* 1987--1989 Art Center College of Design --- "Advance Advertising Illustration Techniques"
* 2003-2005 Art Institute of California - San Diego --- "Life Drawing", "Color Theory", "Fundamentals of Drawing"
Later career
Oil Painting and Portraiture
In 2000, after experiencing slow freelance work, Darrow decided to take on oil painting, a time-luxury he felt was not available under the hectic schedule of freelance work, where contracts were often 24 hours or less. Oil paintings often take days to dry to the point where they can be reworked, or even shipped. Darrow entered his work in the COAL (Carlsbad/Oceanside Art League) Gallery, and did so on a monthly basis for several years. COAL was a cooperative group of artists who maintained a gallery space and shared in its operation, conducted contests and demonstrations. Darrow provided demonstrations and workshops for the League in 2005 and 2007.
Live Internet Broadcast and Instruction
In April 2008, while still living in Oceanside, California, Darrow started a free, internet video broadcast called "The Dave the Painting Guy Paintcast". This serves as a 'view over the shoulder of a working artist' allowing viewers to see, via video, what Darrow is working on, while he talks about what he is doing and why. Viewers are able to interact with him and other logged-in viewers via a chat room while he works.
Painting Demonstrations
In 2010 Darrow moved to San Jose, California at the east end of "Silicon Valley" where he continues portraiture in oil, graphic design and public demonstrations of painting methods and technique for area Art Leagues to promote The Arts and to encourage artists.
Personal life
David Darrow lives in San Jose, California and works and broadcasts in his home studio. He has three adult children and a grandson. He is serious about his hobbies: Photography, Video Editing and Culinary Arts.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu