Updated 2009.03.23

Welcome, My name is Pierre Sosa, and this is Draft In Dance, my online gallery. I derived the gallery's title after noticing the way my pencil moves as I draw. I pride myself on details, and strive to use shadows to chisel form out from the blank paper. One of the most important lessons that I have learned is that there is no outline in real life. Line, however, is as crucial to art as pen, paper, and artist. Through the years I have struggled to reconcile this division. Though I know that there can be no unity, there can be a balance. I have a passion for character. My artistic focus is on the angles and perspectives looking at a character, and the perceptions of environment and self that define the character. For me, the height of illustration comes when I have captured something in both form and consciousness. Most of my artwork is portrait in nature. I rarely use models; instead I imagine the figures and create the intended atmosphere. Some characters have more dimensions then can be grasped in one illustration. I return to these characters over and over again. By examining these pieces I can discover how the character, and my skills, have developed over time. My major influences have been from animation, Baroque and Surreal artists, and fashion trends. As a child I watched cartoons religiously, my two favorite being Disney's Sleeping Beauty and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. They served as an early basis for my art, and traces of their style still infiltrate all aspects of it. I had the great pleasure of growing up in the age of home-console video games, which opened the door to animé and manga for me. I spent most of middle school trying to figure out how to draw a simultaneously realistic and manga Mega-Man and Chun-Li. The result is (what I find to be) a unique style well suited to my career goals as a professional illustrator. The decadence, detail, and shading in Baroque art has always fascinated me. M.C. Escher and Salvador Dali have been extremely influential with their ability to warp reality. Fashion was once a career goal of mine. Although clothes do not define man, they can be used as a great metaphor. I invite you to browse through The Gallery. As time goes on I will be add more pieces, including older pieces to show how my skills have progressed. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions (particularly those that will help further my career as an illustrator) please contact me at pierre@draftindance.com. Sincerly, Pierre M. Sosa Curriculum Vitae (PDF, 40KB)