David Ho is a Chinese American artist who creates dark digital illustrations. After getting his undergraduate degree in Sociology, his ambition in art motivated him to pursue another Bachelor degree in Art History and Fine Arts.
David creates his imagery through a combination of 3D rendering software such as Bryce and Poser, as well as Photoshop. Some of his twisted dreamy imagery feels like it would be at home in a dark child’s storybook, particularly those from his Candice and the Ghost series. Those that are more nightmarish characters look as though they could accompany a Tool music video – Expressions of grief, despair, isolation and sexual disturbance become highly emotional statements in cold, metallic colors on the artist’s digital easel.
Despite being a primarily digital artist, David feels that having a foundation in traditional mediums is also integral to an artist’s development. Per the artist, “I think every student should first learn traditional methods then delve into the digital world. With so many graphic softwares out there, its very easy to take art and all its elements for granted. For example, if traditionally I wish to draw a circle, I would either use my hand and free hand it, or use a compass. but within the computer, I could draw a circle in less than a second and not actually appreciate the true shape and curves of a circle.”
In addition to his own personal work, David is a highly sought after freelancing illustrator and designer. His clients include Corona Beer, The Source magazine, Chicago Tribune, Interscope Records, Acer, Hitachi, IBM, the NRA, Wizards of the Coast, Seether, Penguin Publishing and Soulfly, to name a few. He has also illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game.
