About DTA
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Del, the self-taught artist behind DTA Shop.
Also known as Delstheartist.
I'm not the very best at expressing myself through words so I'll do my best to paint a picture with them instead.
November 25th 1999 was the day my journey began on Earth, it only took me two years to find out what I really wanted to do - draw.
I would draw on the walls (mum hated that), draw on the doors (…she hated that too), basically whenever or wherever I got the opportunity to draw.
It was at a point where I remember being 10 years old doing a class exercise. My teacher in year 5 would go around asking the students what they wanted to be when they grew up, and they would either say something like a footballer, or a singer or a celebrity of some sort.
When it was my turn to answer, everybody already knew. I didn't even have to answer - my fellow students answered for me - to be an artist.
In Secondary School at the age of 16 I dabbled in the world of digital art. I would draw my classmates for the fun of it while learning how to use the tools. In those days I didn't really have the equipment like the laptop or the graphics tablet to draw on, and since my grades weren't too good, my mum would limit the time I would use her iPad.
So my only option was to practice on my phone - with my finger.
I practiced everyday - and the more I studied the techniques and learnt new things about digital art, the more I fell in love with it.
Creating artwork has always been my escape from reality - from school drama, stress at home and everything in between.
A year later, I had found that I had built a fanbase of people who admired my art - both friends and strangers. They would post their portraits that I made for them on their Instagram and Snapchats and Facebook pages, giving me credit for the creations.
This was when I chose to create an Instagram page and showcase my work to the world.
People queued up from different countries all over the world, just to own a piece of artwork from Delstheartist. People came from France, Canada, even people from the United States and Africa! I was only 17 at the time with 4 A Level subjects to study, so things were incredibly stressful causing me to be inconsistent.
My mum was determined to guide me towards the University path, however when I had left Sixth Form I had other plans. I went to College for 2 years to study Graphic Design, and chose a different path to be a full time self-employed Graphic Designer instead of doing further study.
I would have to say, that was the best decision I had ever made.
(No offence to those that DID go to Uni, but for me it felt like a waste of time).
I have illustrated well-known musicians such as Drake, Neyo, Kendrick Lamar, Biggie Smalls and many more.
As I am a Graphic Designer half the time, it wasn't until one of my clients asked me if I would ever sell my artwork on canvases and galleries.
Honestly, I had never thought of that.
It wasn't until this year in 2024 that I decided to give it a go, and to my surprise I made my first sale at £400 for a piece of art.
Now I do both Graphic Design while selling my art here on my website to share my talent.
If I'm not drawing or working, I'm either training at the gym, watching anime or chilling with my family and friends.
That's more or less how my life has been, and to be real it's pretty great.
Let me know if you love my artwork just as much as I do by emailing delstheartist@gmail.com.