Today we’d like to introduce you to David Sanchez.
Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My name is David Sanchez, age 33 and I’m a Professional Freelance Comic Book Artist that specializes in Charcoal/Graphite based Realism and Hyper Realism. I have been involved in the comic book industry for over 3 years now and have been blessed to have worked with several of the top publishers in the industry such as DC Comics (Harley Quinn), Image Comics (Department of Truth, Ice Cream Man, The Dead Lucky, Radiant Pink), BOOM! Studios (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, SIKTC, Dark Blood), Dynamite Publishing (Vampirella), IDW Publishing (The Last Ronin), Aftershock Comics (We Live, Bunny Mask, Land of the Living Gods), Charter Comics (The Forgotten Isle, The Mortician, Don’t Pay The Ferryman, Ferryman Origins: Shades of Death) and Source Point Press (The Curse of Cleaver County). My work has also led to other opportunities such as working with organizations like The Dallas Cowboys (NFL) and Beckett Media (Sports Artist Member).
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Growing up and still till this day it’s always been something I did for fun and to find peace during the toughest moments in my life. I would spend hours drawing different things like roses and skulls and then slowly worked my way to harder projects, but it was still something I kept to myself and never thought of sharing my work until one day I did. One day I decided to draw Ezekiel Elliott and shared it on Facebook. Shortly after showing my work, I was reached out to by soo many people wanting to purchase my work and have their own custom pieces done, which was an amazing feeling. I had not had many highlights in my life at that time but seeing everyone’s reactions and reading all the incredibly kind comments and messages definitely motivated me to see where this could lead, and it was during that time I found my style and where I was at my best and that was being a realism artist. Being a realism artist had more to do with my competitive side than anything else. I enjoyed the challenges I had bringing an old photo to life or spending days trying to make something look so real that you had trouble telling if it was a photo or a drawing. That was and has always been my goal with every project I’m a part of but little did I know it was preparing me for something even bigger.
Originally when I started my journey, I had made friends with so many amazing people that I had no idea were already involved in the comic book industry. One of my closest friends I give the most credit to for helping my career is Chris Hays, Co-Owner of Pastime Comics and Collectibles and Co-Owner of publication Charter Comics. I met Chris originally as a toy vender at some of the toy and comic shows he would put together inside of local high schools and small auditoriums which now at this moment has turned into one of the largest Comic and Toy Conventions in the DFW area called Cowtown Comic Con. One day, Chris came to me with an idea of having me draw a cover for a story he had been working on for a year or so up to that point called “The Forgotten Isle”. I had never drawn a cover of a comic book but admittedly was a huge fan of comic books and artists like Todd McFarlane and Alex Ross, so deep down I always wanted to try it but being that I was a self-taught artist with little to no training, I thought a career in comics wasn’t a possibility. He quickly proved me wrong. Chris along with my other close friends and advisors, McLain McGuire (Co-Owner of Pastime Comics/ Charter Comics), Julian Roane (Co-Owner of Pastime Comics), and Gary Durrett (Co-Owner of Pastime Comics) all took notice of my work and gave me the tools and opportunities I needed to not only draw my first ever comic book cover, which then led to me being a part of other incredible titles with other publications and organizations, but it also allowed me to share my work with the world. Especially with the help of McLain McGuire who has graciously continued to advised me till this day and has allowed me to accompany him along with other talented artists like Ken Salinas, Eroll See, Cole Hays and others to soo many amazing conventions all throughout the US.
Without them and the support of my wife, family, friends, and followers I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No career path is ever a smooth one. There is always some kind of struggle or obstacle keeping you from achieving your goal or dream. Mine was no different. Being a self-taught artist, I always felt I was at a disadvantage because I didn’t have the formal training or knowledge to draw certain things that others would find easy like shading, lighting, drawing hands, and feet. I had to take myself to school again basically. I had to find the best ways that worked for me to be able to confidently and comfortably take on projects without any hesitation. I would sit for hours drawing the things I struggled with the most over and over again until I felt I was comfortable and ready to take on the next project. It definitely wasn’t easy and there were projects that I had worked on that I felt I could’ve done a lot better on but we’re our own worst critics and all you can do is continue to work hard and improve little by little each day, so that’s what I did. Time management unfortunately, has always been the one obstacle I’ve yet to master but I’ve improved over time and I’m grateful to those that have helped me gain control over my career and have been patient with me along the way. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses artistically and as a person have allowed me to set goals that don’t seem unobtainable any longer. In fact, they motivate me to be better every day without losing the love and fun that started my journey. I enjoy the process more and more each day with each project.
The best advice I would give to someone who is self-taught is to not get discouraged. Overthinking is something I’m sure most artists struggle with but if you enjoy the process and take risks then you’ll never be disappointed with the end result. The one thing you can always count on is learning from your mistakes and improving on them the next time around but never forget to have fun. We get to do something amazing and fun for a living that sometimes, in the midst of it all, we lose sight of that, so always remember to have fun and enjoy the process.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
So being a professional comic book artist my work falls in the category of realism or photorealism. I am primarily a black and gray artist but some, if not most of my work is colored by some of the most amazing colorist in the industry today like Ula Mos, Omi Remelante, Arif Prianto, Rita Moore, and Marvin Tabacon. My medium of choice is graphite, charcoal, and pastel. Mainly dry mediums at the moment but I’m currently studying airbrushing, oil, and gouache painting which has been really fun and exciting. It will be some time before I’m comfortable using them on published material but it’s exciting to see what could come from it once I’m at the level I hope to be at.
As far as what I’m known for currently? I would say the one piece I’ve done that has introduced me to so many amazing people and continues to be mentioned to this day is the cover I drew for Image Comics “The Department of Truth #14”. The reason I mention that specific title is because I was graciously allowed to draw one of my favorite artists as the subject matter for the cover, Tupac Shakur. The opportunity to be involved with the project was a blessing in itself because of the story being written by James Tynion, who is an incredibly gifted writer and even kinder person but just having the chance to add my name to the list of the many incredible artists that before me have drawn covers for that series was an even bigger part of the reason why I wanted to be the cover artist, it was a huge opportunity. Being that the story is primarily about conspiracies’ I wanted to draw something iconic that played well with the story even if the issue was about something else entirely. With the help of my close friend Gary Mui, we came up with an idea that we thought would be perfect as a cover and that’s when we both agreed to draw Tupac Shakur from his iconic photo showing nothing but his face and hands with one hand holding a cigarette and him wearing his iconic Death Row Chain. I wanted to change a few things to pay my respect to not only the retailer that gave me the opportunity but to make sure that the focus was still on the story in some way shape or form so I changed the logo of the chain to match the logo of the retailer and I added the iconic Department of Truth X’s over the eyes of Tupac to make sure it tied in as much as it could to the title of the story. Once it was released, I was shocked with the response it gained. The cover sold out almost immediately and the goal I always hope to achieve with all of my projects was achieved in that moment. I was able to draw Tupac so detailed that it was hard to tell if it was a photo or an actual drawing. Once I showed proof that I had drawn the cover the opportunities that came from it were some of greatest moment and achievements of my life and career.
As far as what sets me apart from others? I don’t think there is anything that sets me apart from other artists. I love to draw, and I love to learn and grow each day as much as the people that support and follow my work allow me to. I’m grateful to have the support system that I have and I’m grateful to have met so many incredible artists that I get to call my family. To me, that’s a blessing and a gift. I get to travel with my beautiful wife and spend time with my peers, meet new people and share my work with everyone I meet along the way and hope and pray my work inspires them to follow their dreams as well.
My dream came true.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy? Drawing makes me happy. Knowing that my work makes others happy and knowing that I can provide for my wife and family doing something I love to do every day. Throughout my life, I was told by my parents and relatives that I was going to do amazing things with my art but for some reason, I never took it seriously. I just thought that was something parents would say or maybe they were just being nice when really, they thought I was a terrible artist. I’m glad I was wrong. I wish my parents were here today to see what I’ve done with my life and know that they were right all along. They have been with me in spirit throughout my journey and have been a guiding force in helping me get through those difficult moments in my life and career, I just hope I’ve made them proud.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/DSanchezArtist
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsanchezartist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSanchezArtist
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DSanchezArtist?t=XvGrevKF9GlO8zsl0kkG-A&s=09
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dsanchezartist?_t=8Xj5aKs7f5i&_r=1
Image Credits
Kaitlin Hays Photography
Boom! Studios
Image Comics
RedEpt1on Comics
Charter Comics
