Authentically Real
Tim Walker, Artist
Images contributed by Tim Walker
The adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” perfectly describes Tim Walker’s work. His black and white pictures are rich with contrast, depth, detail, and emotion – and he can capture it all in an image of anything from wildlife to people. Tim is not a photographer, he’s an artist, but his work is so realistic it’s often mistaken for a photograph.
“The highest compliment I ever receive is that someone thinks it’s a photograph,” Tim said of his drawings. “My goal is to reach hyper-realism.”
Tim began sketching as a young boy, recreating dinosaurs and saber tooth tigers from photos in his favorite book. Though never formally instructed, he’s always enjoyed drawing and in the past six years has turned his hobby into a business.
“I call myself ‘self-proclaimed,’” he said humbly. “It’s just been something I’ve done for as long as I remember.”
Tim spent his formative years in Big Timber where he graduated from high school before attending college to pursue a degree in piano performance.
“It would be an utter blessing to survive solely on my art and maybe that day will come for me.”
“I played classical by ear until I was a teenager,” he said. “I went to college for piano, but starting lessons so late in life, it took too long for me to learn.”
Though he still loves piano, drawing has always been his true artistic passion. Honing that passion, his work elevated to a new level as he discovered the vast world of art tools.
“It was a pinnacle moment for me,” he said. “I went from charcoal sticks to pencils that are so fine they can only be sharpened with an exacto blade.”
Using such tools, Tim has fine-tuned the details in each drawing, exposing faint features in his subjects through shadows and light. Using a blend of charcoal and graphite pencils, he captures the finest elements, from the lines on the weathered face of a cowboy to the delicate tendrils of hair on a baby’s head. A drawing of a bull elk, his head lifted, his massive rack tilted back, and his nostrils flared, captures the dominance of the majestic animal. A swan, quietly resting with her long, graceful neck tucked into her soft, downy body stands out against a dark night as the moon casts a subtle reflection displaying peace and tranquility in the scene.
“It’s the details that set me apart,” he said.
Tim’s drawings are all modeled after actual photographs and though not a photographer himself, he has great appreciation for those whose images are artistic and candid. A high-resolution photo makes his task of recreating detail easier. Placed side by side it takes close examination to differentiate Tim’s drawing and the actual photograph.
“Posed photos are hard to capture emotion,” he explained. “I love drawing from a photo that allows me the opportunity to pull out the subtle details.”
Tim has drawn African wildlife such as elephants and tigers and animals more common to Montana like buffalo and grizzlies. His subjects range from rodeo competitors to Native Americans to an elderly person, whose wrinkled hands share the keyboard of a piano with a child’s. Another drawing of a young ranch girl astride her horse, her short legs outstretched as she kicks her horse into a canter, leaves the viewer with a smile. Many of his commissioned works are of pets, as he is adept at showing the character of the animals in his art.
“I capture the personality of the pet through their eyes. The patterns I draw in their eyes gives them depth,” he explained. “I especially enjoy commissioning a pet that is no longer alive as they become cherished pieces.”
He has garnered exposure and advertising mainly on social media, connecting with clients who share images of people, pets, or wildlife to become their next wall hanging through Tim’s hand. When time allows, he seeks out photographs for inspiration and at times, his originals have sold within hours of posting them online. Several photographers have featured Tim’s drawings while promoting their own work and consider it a compliment that he uses their photos.
“I always give credit to the photographer,” he said. “If not for them, I wouldn’t have subjects.”
He recently finished a drawing of celebrity Sadie Robertson holding her daughter in her arms.
“I really liked how it turned out,” he said.
The work of art, like each piece, starts as a blank sheet of Bristol paper first marked with a measured grid, then an outlined with the subject, which eventually comes to life as he adds intricate details. None of his work is computer enhanced. Tim often shares “work in progress” posts on his Facebook page, walking his followers through the process and assuring his work is completely authentic.
While he is first known for his drawing talent, Tim still plays exquisite piano pieces, and, creative in many facets, just published his first novel, “Torn” and recently completed the sequel between work on commissioned art.
“It’s that right brain coming out in me,” he said modestly. “Sometimes it’s overactive. It would be an utter blessing to survive solely on my art and maybe that day will come for me.”
Follow Tim’s work on Facebook at TDW Fine Art or visit tdwfineart.com.
