Dan Karras was born in Appleton, WI to a creative family. Growing up, Dan’s father encouraged him and his sister to explore and express their unique talents. Inspired by his father’s surreal watercolor paintings and words of encouragement, Dan discovered his personal style of graphite and charcoal drawings. Over the years, he refined his art through a self-taught pursuit and combined his observations of the world around him with his love of contrasting shades and textures to develop his technique and style of realism reflected in his work. Dan draws inspiration from a variety of subject matter, including nature and landscapes, architecture, and, most recently, portraiture of animals and people.

Dan says that he approaches his art as a “life-long learner” with a goal to continually push himself into new territories. While Dan enjoys experimenting with new styles and mediums, he has found that graphite and charcoal offer him a sense of peace in the process of replicating the shadows and shapes of a subject.

Currently residing in Madison, WI, Dan strives to bring joy to those who view his work. His hope is that his artwork will pique the interest of the viewer and create a meaningful connection with the subject.