Daniel Velasco
FASHION + FINE ART
by Amy Stockwell Mercer
Venezuelan born artist Daniel Velasco describes himself as “an impassioned fashion illustrator who seeks to tame the ferociousness of fashion using the gentle approach of watercolor.”
In 2015, he worked with designer Ryan Workman to create a collection for the Emerging Designer competition at Charleston Fashion Week. Their collection was inspired by street art and tribal prints and was composed of hand-painted fabrics highlighted by bold graphics. Velasco says the best part about the experience was the friendships he made.
Tell me about how you got your start in the art world. When did you know this was what you wanted to do with your life?
I started drawing and sculpting with plasticine when I was three years old. One of my earliest memories is drawing on a little pad in the back room of a boutique my grandmother owned. My parents always supported my interest in art. In middle and high school, I attended the School of Visual Arts Cristóbal Rojas in Caracas, where I learned classic painting techniques. I wanted to become an artist, but my parents were concerned about the risk, so I went to college and earned a BFA in Mass Communications with a minor in graphic design.
After years of working as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines in Venezuela, I applied to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and moved to the United States in 2011. I started my Master of Fine Art in Illustration with the intention of becoming an author illustrator. Halfway through the program, one of my professors suggested I take a class in the Fashion department, and that completely changed my career. I worked very hard to build up a portfolio with new pieces. I learned about fashion history, fabrics, silhouettes, and I learned how to sew.
Describe your creative process. Where do you find inspiration?
I love the way clothes communicate. Whatever it is, clothes always have something to say. Even a plain white shirt tells a story. Like Bill Cunningham (legendary New York Times fashion photographer) said, “Fashion is the armor to survive everyday life,” and I believe that armor we put on our back every morning is a visual speech we give the world.
I am very inspired by vintage photography, the compositions of photographers like Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon, and the colors of Guy Bourdin. Anything can become a source of inspiration— a film, a conversation with someone, a sight on the street. Visiting an art gallery or going to a museum is most inspiring.
Tell me about your fashion heroes. If you could invite 3 designers or artists (dead or alive) to dinner, who would you ask?
My favorite designer is Jean Paul Gauthier. I love how artistically bold he has been over the years and how his career took him to the world of costume design, which is something I would love to do in the future. Elsa Schiaparelli and Keith Haring would be the other two guests.
How do your illustrations “tell a story”?
Fashion illustration tells stories in a subtle way. I want to believe that I am a participant in the dialogue. With every evident brushstroke or splash of color I am talking to the viewer, creating an intimate relationship between them and the moment the work was created, and that is the most wonderful story an artist can tell: the instant you are lost in your work, merged as one.
by Amy Stockwell Mercer
From ART MAG 2016 Fall Issue
Daniel Velasco
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Tools and Resources
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Visual Artist Profile
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