Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooks Davis II
Brooks, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Funny enough I am a native Savannahian. Although I was born here in Savannah, I was actually raised in Jackson, Mississippi from ages 2 to 14. In Jackson, I had always felt like an outcast because I was an artsy kid. During my time in Mississippi, I experienced one of the worst injuries imaginable. I broke my elbow and not just my elbow; the growth plate, muscles, ligaments and tendons in my dominant arm all torn/separated. One misstep while shooting free throws in PE and my life had been changed. When physicians finally removed the splint, my right arm would not extend past a 90 degree angle. The doctors told me I would never be able to use my arm the same again. I vowed to relearn my body and to gain back the ability to use my arm. I was determined to make a beautiful world with something broken. This self-manifested desire shifted my focus from athletics to art and design. In the mind of a child, “If I can’t play with what the world has built, I need to make my own world fun.” Over the next 4 years I regained the ability to use my arm. I made the decision to return to Savannah to attend the Savannah Arts Academy where I graduated in 2014 with a Visual Arts Major. I then went on to SCAD to pursue a degree in Architecture and User Experience Design, graduating in June of 2022. This culminates over a decade of art and design education. For the first year of postgrad, I had been working in freelance design and in May of 2023, I hit a lull in between projects. In need of cat food money, I went out as an Artist Performer to Forsyth Park with a portrait I drew of my dog and began taking commissioned pet portraits. This one decision led to a months worth of work in 4 days. It was at this moment when I realized being an artist is my true calling and started turning away design projects. As a child, an unfathomable dream was to be able to sell the drawings I made. Within the past year, I have been able to make those dreams a reality and take this career further than I thought possible. While I am still actively taking commissioned pet portraits, I have recently started the process of planning and executing my first million dollar project.
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?
Starting as an artist is not easy and I’ve chosen a bit of a non-traditional approach. My goal with my art is to bring attention to something overlooked- graphite on coldpress. Not everyone appreciates black and white the same way I do and it’s been a rewarding challenge to elevate this medium. Across the board, using graphite on coldpress is typically advised against as it’s finicky to work with and difficult to make look good. But when applied properly on the paper, the effect of the creates a timeless look, bringing tremendous depth to the piece. The biggest hurdle for me has been in bringing to light the true value of my work. Currently, I am the only hyperrealist graphite artist working on Coldpress in the world.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Like many artists, we have seasons and different periods. At this moment, my focus is on Graphite and Coldpress. My mission is to elevate this completely over looked drawing medium. Most people know me from how I started, with freehand hyperrealistic pet portraits and have expanded to include more impressionistic and experimental styles of all subjects including architecture, landscapes, still life, and portraiture. What separates my work from the rest is the timeless look created by using graphite on a heavy tooth paper. Due to the nature of the tooth and softness of the paper, every mistake/flawed line is revealed in the piece. Because of this, every drawing must be freehand. Each piece feels more like a puzzle than a drawing, having to find unique solutions with hand pressure, graphite lead size, and application for each highlight and shadow. In April I had my first art show at the Cedar House Gallery where I curated, hosted, and ran the event myself within 40 days. This was a huge moment in my career, allowing me to showcase my journey and the experimentations I have created while exploring this completely overlooked medium in drawing.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Just keep doing it. An inchworm travels a long distance. As long as you are consistent and making steps every day then you will travel a mile without knowing it, having my first art show was incredible bc it brought out a lot in me and announced who I was to the world. I wouldn’t have been able to get there in a year if I hadn’t been making some type of art every day. You don’t have to have everything done before you start.
Pricing:
- my original art- email me. Prices start at $8000
- For Commissions I take a non-refundable deposit of $100 and depending on the size and detail of the piece the price fluctuate from impressionism (being cheapest) to Hyperrealism (most expensive)
- Impressionist/Experimental Style – Start at $300
- Hyperrealism/Photorealism – $1000 minimum upon completion
- If you’d like to collect one of my artist cards come find me in Forsyth Park on most Saturdays with the Artists’ Market. Each one of a kind card starts at $10.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drawingsbybrooks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drawingsbybrooks/
- Other: email for commission inquiries: [email protected]
