Dan O'Leary - Portraiture & Caricature illustrator, USA

Dan O’Leary lets his sense of humour loose in satirical illustrations that not only make people laugh but usually have a deeper message to them. From outrageous caricatures to hyper-realistic Photoshop illustrations and sketch-like artistic works, his versatility brings him top clients from a wide range of fields, and he’s built long-standing relationships with many of them.

He believes his desire to poke fun at things comes from growing up in a large family, where sometimes you need a little good-natured teasing to get by. Whether the topic is news, pop culture, history or something else, that ability to find the humour and draw on personal experience sets Danny apart. Based in New Jersey, he has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Paier College of Art in Connecticut.

Approach

Today, Danny works entirely digitally. He still paints and draws for some of his fine art projects – his landscapes are oil and acrylic, for instance – but his illustrations are nearly always done using the paint and drawing tools in Photoshop.

Styles

During his career, Danny has explored many styles and continues to do so. Clients appreciate the variety within his portfolio – there are ultra-realistic photo-illustrations, while other work is practically scribbles. Even with all his experience, he keeps on mixing it up and expanding his boundaries.

Client list

Dan’s clients include Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Dorchester Publishing, St Martin's Press, Harlequin Enterprises, Hachette Book Group, Scholastic and Niche Media.

I was a first-time author who had written a great story and wanted a beautiful cover to represent it.I stumbled upon Illustrationx.com and I’m so grateful I did. The illustrator who most intrigued me was Danny O’Leary. I contacted Danny’s agent, Karen Kaller. She responded within fifteen minutes. All of Karen’s communication was professional and prompt. Danny is a delight to work with. Danny was patient with the process and accommodating with my ideas. He is very personable and professional. The end result was an incredible cover that captures the essence of my story. Contrary to the saying, people do judge a book by its cover. In the world of self-publication, a professional cover design is essential. Let illustrationx.com wrap your story in art!

Martha Vaught, Martha Vaught/first-time author

Danny was delightful to work with, quickly understanding what we wanted to communicate and able to render images that were vivid and rich. I would certainly work with him again. 'James Patterson'

James Patterson #1 New York Times Best Selling Author, Little Brown and Company