Tom Ernst

I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I’ve always been intrigued by the human figure. As a child, growing up in Connecticut, I would draw epic scenes of characters in space, underwater, or in fantastical worlds of my imagination. Comic books were readily available to me throughout my teens and I enthusiastically studied—and was inspired by—the mastery of technical skills and creative vision of the artists Buscema, Adams, Colan, and Byrne.

Although I studied and graduated college with a degree in engineering, I continued to draw throughout that time. Ten months into my new engineering career I knew I wanted to commit full time to pursuing my passion for creating art. I was accepted into the fine arts program at Pratt Institute in NYC. I was fortunate in a particular teacher, Tom Orlando, who reinforced for me the essential idea of constant study. After Pratt I studied with Dave Passalacqua over a six-year period. These classes were easily the most beneficial to me and set me on the path that I am still on today. Dave pushed me to expand the ways in which I could visualize and interpret the human figure. Most importantly, he gave me the tools to discover how I draw, and not to emulate someone else—a priceless gift.

The stu...

Duke University, BS, Mechanical Engineering
Pratt Manhattan, 2 years study
Passalacqua School of Drawing and Illustration

New Haven Open Studios, New Haven, CT, 2013