Born in 1967 and raised in Colchester, Vermont, USA, art was always a hobby for Donato as a young man, he would steal away into the basement of his parents' home to work on drawings, create his own maps for the game Dungeons & Dragons, paint figurines, read comics, and construct model tanks and dinosaurs. His love of imaginative play dominated his childhood, both indoors and out. At the age of twenty Donato enrolled in his first formal art class, the beginning of his professional training. Immediately after graduating Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Painting from Syracuse University in 1992, Donato moved to New York City to immerse himself in the inspired and varied art scene. Formative years in the early nineties were spent as the studio assistant to the preeminent figure painter Vincent Desiderio, and long days of study in the museums of New York. It was then that his love and appreciation of classical figurative art took hold. He continues his training even now, visiting museums regularly, learning from and sometimes copying original paintings by Rembrandt or Rubens, attending life drawing sessions with illustrator friends and constantly challenges himself within each new project. Pilgrimages to major museums are his preferred reason to travel.
Donato has released a revised hard cover compilation of his works on the theme of J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle-Earth: Journeys in Myth and Legend from Dark Horse Comics.
cheesechompers3deon15 Types of CompositionWhat a fantastic resource! The breakdown of different composition types is so clear and inspiring. This post is incredibly he…
gazetkoon15 Types of CompositionGodziny otwarcia Rossmann W większości miast sklepy Rossmann otwierają się od wczesnych godzin porannych, co ułatwia zrobieni…
crazy cattle 3don15 Types of CompositionThis is super helpful! I always struggle with composition, and having these archetypes to reference is a game-changer. Gonna…
crazy cattle 3don15 Types of CompositionAh, super interesting! I've always struggled with composition. These archetypes give me some avenues to explore. I need to fi…
oooh!
I love that portrait, Donato.
I dig the compositions.
I was just curious, how big are these sketchbook pages?