Local artist Derrick Dent talks about work, life and the future

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Derrick Dent (left) with Gino Barzizza[/caption]

Meet Derrick Dent, local artist, teacher and friend. I first met Derrick in my drawing class at Memphis College of Art a few years back. He would come over with other students to draw our homework for class. He helped me a lot with lines and overall composition, and I ordered pizza.

I ended up transferring to the University of Memphis, but see Derrick riding his bike and working with Live from Memphis doing their Ink Off all over town. I wanted to start featuring blogs about local artists and their careers to help inspire other art folks who aspire for the same. The very first person I thought of was Derrick. Here, he talks about where he works and his future plans.

Derrick, what do you currently do?

I'm working as a freelance illustrator, and I draw pictures for the web, and sometimes print. I'm also teaching comics at Memphis College of Art during the Fall 2012 semester.

What are your plans for the future?

I'm pursuing more work in editorial and publishing (I want to do more illustrations for literature), but I've also delved into package illustration, caricatures and portraiture, mural work, comics, and other areas that apply to my skill set. I'm planning to move to New York next year to pursue more work and to extend my network.

How can we see more of your work?

You can find my work at derrickdent.com and on my sketchblog at derrickdent.tumblr.com