Rising Stars: Meet Devin O’Brien of Tempe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin O’Brien.

Hi Devin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, I loved playing and watching sports and drawing. In 2017, I purchased my first iPad, where I began teaching myself graphic design techniques and experimented with drawing some of my favorite sports figures. Over a few years of persistently improving my skills, I gained the ability to create authentic and lifelike works that are displayed on my website. Creating these artworks is meditative for me, as all of my artworks are entirely hand-drawn and take around 6-8 hours to complete. I pride myself on my attention to detail, as I believe it is what sets me apart from other artists.

Although art is somewhat talent based, I’ve always been a strong believer that anyone has the potential to become an artist, whether it be drawing, painting, or a digital medium. This optimism about others’ artistic abilities has led me to create a tutorial course to allow potential artists to unlock the skill and confidence they never thought possible. “All you need is a steady hand and some practice” is one of my mottos. In 2021, I began creating custom works for athletes of every level professional, collegiate, and youth. This has allowed me to work with several notable names in sports and launch a highly anticipated custom work line.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road. I’m very thankful for the recognition and opportunities to work with some athletes I’ve created artwork for. One slight challenge I occasionally encounter is the misinterpretation of my graphic design style artwork. Digital medium art is relatively new, so some people might not understand how it is created. In my case, each of my designs is entirely hand-drawn, which I believe is evident when studying the details within my work. This is shown on my website as I demonstrate the drawing processes that go into my artwork.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a graphic artist who primarily focuses on creating artwork for sports and entertainment figures. My work is recognized for its extreme attention to detail and is hand-drawn using a digital medium. The detail factor alone sets me apart from other artists, as I don’t consider an artwork finished until it is up to my standard. Each of my artworks aims to create the most realistic work possible for any subject I’m focusing on. I’m very proud to have developed a website for my artwork which includes my gallery, a custom work line, and a tutorial course to teach other prospective artists aspiring to learn how to create similar works.

We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
I strongly believe that risk-taking is necessary for success and creating the ideal life that you desire to live. It’s in our nature to seek comfort in situations that involve risk, as the unknown instills fear within people. This fear of the unknown and failure causes people to not go after what they truly desire and instead avoid risk in most situations to return to that comfortable feeling. People typically don’t realize that failure is also necessary for success and shouldn’t be something to fear. The fear of failure causes people to avoid taking action. In my experience, you’re missing some of the most rewarding and life-changing opportunities if you avoid action and let failure scare you.

Contact Info:

• Website: devinobrienart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devinobrienart/