His intricate paintings are compelling in their uniqueness and blend an unlikely mix of industrial design, sailing, and sci-fi. He is highly sought after in the world of concept art, and because of his creative aptitude, he has an enviable list of renowned clients, including Disney and Universal Studios.
Originally from France, David’s exceptional talent for drawing and configuration started early on and was perhaps inspired, in part, by his deep love of sailing. In his younger years, he was a self-confessed ‘beach bum’ and rebellious teenage windsurfer that enjoyed spending most of his free time on the water in one form or another.
He attributes much of his penchant for sailing to his late father, with whom he shared a desire to be on the open ocean at any given opportunity. The pair had a strong father-son connection and spent much of their time racing together in the south of France, Italy, and across the Meditteranean whenever the opportunity arose.
Fascinated by the shapes and structural architecture of the sailing boats that he saw during these outings, David drew and sketched hundreds of images in different variations, recreating a large majority purely from observation or fleeting images sometimes seen on the television. Once captivated by an idea, he could become slightly obsessive and routinely drew the same picture over and over again, playing with different styles, colors, and angles until he had committed it to memory. This early basis and visual representation of sailing and technology helped shape much of David’s signature concept style that would be seen in his later work.
It was not long before his aptitude for drawing was recognized. Seeing her son’s ever-growing pile of sketches, his mother entered him into a competition at an industrial design school. The young David attended the event with around 500 other competitors and did not hold out much hope of success. However, several months later, along with a handful of others, he was accepted by the school as a student. He went on to study architecture in Holland.
It was during this time that David’s artistic style was developed and began to flourish even further. His passion for everything technical combined with many elements of sailing became quite literally, an art form that was exclusive to the young man. Years of technical learning and art training combined to create a visionary artist whose work is a standalone testament to his extraordinary and innovative talent.
Using his own words when describing his artistic process, David claims it is like ‘throwing rocks on a table.’ From the disarray, he creates order, and from the confusion arises new visions and concepts that he alone can translate into an impressive visual display.
His inspiring and dramatic artwork eventually led David to a successful career in video game design. Working on notable releases like Assassins Creed and Prince of Persia, along with the development of entertainment titles across different gaming platforms. Due to his heavy and ongoing involvement in the game and movie industry, David left his native France and now resides in Los Angeles, California.
Owing to his expertise and ability to create technical digital imagery and futuristic illustration, he achieved notoriety in his field. It was then he was approached by Disney. They had seen examples of David’s previous work and knew he was the designer they needed to work on their blockbuster movies as a concept artist to cultivate the futuristic look that they desired. Over the past several years, he has created numerous backdrops, characters, and vehicles that are featured in million-dollar Hollywood creations.
His stunning work can be seen in epic productions like Tron Legacy and Prometheus, as well as other sci-fi movies like the latest Star Wars episode. His artistic style reflects and incorporates his history of sailing combined with a futuristic imagination. This lends itself to an appearance that works well with the science fiction genre. The scenarios and landscapes he crafts could almost be real in the fantasy environments where the movies take place.
Being the creative mind that is working on some of the biggest film productions of the decade is enough to keep most people busy. But along with other projects, David still keeps his love of sailing close to his heart, turning his creative eye to some spectacular depictions of sailboats. These are paintings of vessels that are not of the typical standard. Walking a fine line between the impossible and reality, this progressive artist renders some distinctive representations of sailing craft. His sailboat art is matchless in its originality, and perhaps it is his speed painting technique, perfected over the years, that creates a sense of action and movement through his exhibits.
Awe-inspiring sleek imagery, smooth lines, and plays of light across the boat’s gleaming surfaces give an appearance of realism that is captivating. A closer inspection typically reveals a technical styling or an elevation of the craft hovering above water that would just not be possible in real life. However, David’s inventive and clever approach makes the image, and the extraordinary feats depicted, into a clever optical illusion that is almost believable to the viewer.
Examples of David Levy’s amazing artwork can be viewed at his website http://vyle-art.com/
