Daniel Sulzberg - Children's Book & Character Design Illustrator

Illustrator Daniel Sulzberg is based in Santa Barbara, California, and his work is infused with the easy-going creativity that his home state is famous for. It’s colourful and fun, welcoming and sometimes a little bit zany. Maybe that’s why the characters he draws so effortlessly seem to jump to life in his illustrations. Growing up in a town called Danville, he was always Dan from Danville. After initially trying to emulate his older brother, who was a fine artist, Dan later discovered cartoons, comics and Nintendo games. Soon, he had invented Danvillage, a place for all his whimsical characters to inhabit. It’s become the moniker he works under as an illustrator. Dan’s favourite artists include Dali, Murakami and Miyazaki, while Prince and Reggae music keep him juiced up on tunes. He also has a huge collection of 80s vinyl from his days as a DJ.

Training

Dan is a graduate of UCLA’s design programme.

Approach

Dan has a loose creative process that starts with sketching on paper as he plays with ideas for his piece. The sketches are refined, and the composition is honed for a final sketch that he’ll scan in. Then Dan colours the image using his iPad and Apple Pencil, before transferring it over to Photoshop for the finishing touches.

Styles

Vivid colour, positivity, surrealism and whimsy are all elements of Daniel’s style, which he says is heavily influenced by where he’s from – California. “The vibe of being relaxed, casual and yourself is a part of who I am and it definitely shows in my work,” he says.

Client list

Red Bull Major League Soccer The Washington Post LA Galaxy Seattle Sounders Tottenham Hotspur Evite Zedge Wise Potato Chips Lake Colouring The Dirty Heads