Featured Artist: Nickv47

Bundle up because we’re heading into the season of crisp mornings, crunchy leaves, and holiday-inspired designs by DBH artist Nickv47. Whether it’s his signature holiday shark character or a fuzzy monster enjoying a cup of coffee on a brisk day, Nickv47’s graphics will be sure to get everyone excited about the upcoming season. Knock, knock…fall is here; and we have just the styles to help you get ready for it!

Nickv47, or Nick Volkert, is an artist and illustrator from – as he lovingly refers to it – the “burbs of Chicago” where he enjoys drawing, hitting his local bike trails, and visiting the gym. Nickv47 prefers using pen and paper for his artwork to bring a sense of “grit” and realness to his designs. He jokes that his style is “equal parts Nintendo video game art from the ‘80s/’90s, ‘80s and ‘90s comic strips, and also the jitters from drinking too much caffeine.” His vibrant cartoons not only hum with caffeine, but also with the passion that comes from creating designs that bring joy to his audience. He believes that working on his art should be fun and that creativity is “letting that inner child play.”

Nickv47 understands the constraints of a long work week and admits that he has a hard time resisting the urge to “veg on the couch” in his free time. However, he pushes himself to spend his weekends creating art because he knows he’ll regret the missed opportunity on Monday morning. He recognizes that you get “better by doing” and that the best thing you can do as an artist is to simply keep creating.