Welcome!

Ryan Nielsen is an independent illustrator and portrait artist of fantasy based in Lakewood, Washington. He is a digital artist that has been expanding his medium to oil paint to reconnect with traditional art.

Inspired by travel, nature, the golden age of illustrators, he strives to create a vision of past beauty through the lens of modern technique.

His favorite creations are book covers, card art, interior illustrations, and personal pieces for tabletop roleplaying games and fantasy literature.

As a child, Ryan was determined to perfect his textbook doodles in order to compete with his older brother's talents. His love of portraiture began as early as middle school and by the time he was in high school he was winning awards for his illustrations at local events. It was during this time that he discovered Golden Age Illustrators. His mother gifted him a book about them to nurture his blooming talent. Norman Rockwell's works called to him, and he hoped to someday emulate his artistry.

He spent some time thereafter exploring other creative outlets: songwriting, filmmaking, 3D, and even carpentry and the carving of twenty-first birthday keys. Many years later, a close friend asked him to create the cover art for a tabletop roleplaying campaign setting, and it brought Ryan back to his roots. He re-acquainted himself with the pencil and paintbrush, but fell newly in love with his stylus. Digital painting was a game changer.

He started out as self-taught with books, YouTube tutorials, and online classes, and he has since been working with mentors. Dan Dos Santos, Bruce Brenneise and Sam Flegal are helping him develop his skills and pursue his dream to become an independent artist and freelancer.

A few of the artists who have influenced him in particular include: Norman Rockwell, Howard Pyle, Jean Leon Gerome, Edmund Blair Leighton, William Bouguereau, John Singer Sargent, Edwin Austin Abbey, Cynthia Shepherd, Tyler Jacobson, Dan Dos Santos, Todd Lockwood and many others.

He recently began a new series of fantasy portraits inspired by his past love of portraiture but taken into the fantastical.