Dave Kramer / American, 20th Century

Framed (K513) Award-winning artist Dave Kramer grew up in La Porte, Indiana, one of six children. He studied fine art at Indiana University and while still a student, painted illustrations for several design studios. In 1985 Kramer moved to Dallas, Texas and embarked upon a career as a freelance illustrator. He has painted book illustrations for Bantam Books; Harcourt, Brace; Harper Collins; Henry Holt; Reader's Digest; Scholastic Books; Tor; and many more.

Kramer has now moved into the area he truly loves…painting fine art and portraits in a Romantic or Iconic Realist style. His portraits go beyond a realistic depiction of the subject to become a valuable piece of fine art. Romanticism means portraying men and women in an idealized, symbolic style. Women are presented in an idealized feminine manner and men are portrayed in an idealized masculine manner. The artist also employs dramatic use of light and shadow to evoke specific emotions.

Iconic means simple bold visual statements that create great impact on the viewer's experience with art. And Realism includes any style that represents the subject accurately. A variety of means can be employed to portray Realism, from photo-realism to a not-quite-impressionistic technique. Kramer is especially inspired by great artists of the past such as John William Waterhouse, John Singer Sargent, and Adolphe-William Bouguereau.

Kramer teaches Saturdays at the Creative Art Center of Dallas, a non-profit art school. He also gives private lessons at his studio. As a way to constantly hone his drawing and painting skills, Kramer has initiated a life drawing group (Professional Peers) where professional artists learn from each other and improve their own techniques by regularly meeting together to draw and paint real models. He has led the group for its first 10 years. In addition, he now volunteers several hours every week to different art groups in the community and donates artwork every year to be auctioned in a fundraiser for a non-profit art school.

Several regional and national organizations have recognized Kramer's excellence in drawing and painting. He has received awards from The Dallas Society of Artists, Artist Magazine, New York Society of Illustrators and numerous other organizations.