Artists are really just illusionists. Art is an illusion on your medium. The crafty and careful ways that artists their techniques to create art grabs me. The ability to make the familiar into something "new." The everyday objects we see being turned into something bold. Artists should ask themselves, what if? Ever since a child I always wanted to create things from the things we see already. What if it had legs? What if it was powered by something that isn't electricity? The childlike imagination is something I have not lost. I constantly imagine people as a character that I could draw, I imagine a game scenario as I wait on the train or bus, and try to think what the world would look like in my art style. I think if I never asked myself those questions, I would not be the artist that I am today. I always think of creating something that could be possible, by simply studying the real world around me. Below are 3 of my original art works. I drew and drew out and inked the QR code by hand. Unfortunately it does not scan because I messed it up during the final stages. The queen with the sword is in oil paint and that was my very first time using oil paint. The final picture is one of my characters that I have been working on. Thank you for reading.

People can be cruel, but standing up for yourself is important. This is something that I have learned the hard way. Bullying was a challenge that I faced during my public school experience. Public school was almost a shock for me, since I went to private and catholic schools until 5th grade. There were more students, classes operated differently, and fights were frequent. Some of the boys in the class were cruel to me. I was constantly picked on for how I looked, and for what I wore to school. I did not care about the clothes that I wore because it was not a fashion show for me as my parents taught me. I made sure to focus on what was truly important, which was my education. Being an introvert is difficult in this extrovert dominated world. I preferred to read by myself, or draw. I did have a small circle of friends, and we all stood up for each other when any of us were being picked on. However, this still did affect me since I struggled with major depressive disorder for my entire life due to my home circumstances. I was adopted by my grandparents since my mother and father left me at a very early age. It was also difficult to see the other children get picked up by their mother and father, while I did not have mine. My grandparents became my real mom and dad, and they pushed me to do well in school. Even when I was going to one of the worst high schools in Brooklyn NY, my parents still told me to keep doing my best despite the traumatic stuff that was witnessed at the school such as, a child being stabbed in the hallway during a fight. Bullying was an issue still, but I stood up for myself and stayed focused. Thankfully my grandparents were able to fight to get me a transfer. I was always a very good student because my parents were very strict and would not allow me to slack off. My good grades helped me get accepted to a much better school where I finished my high school education in 2016. This scholarship will help me finally finish my degree to chase my dream of becoming a concept artist for video games. My parents unfortunately died from cancer a couple years ago, and I had to leave college to take care of them. I was out of school for 5 years doing what I could for them. They always wanted to see me graduate, but unfortunately I cant bring them back no matter what I do. I still struggle with grief and depression since losing them. I want to make them proud in Heaven and say I did it grandma and dad, I finally did it! I know they will be proud of me because I put in so much time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears into my school work, and my art work.

My name is Derek Henry, and art has been a part of me my whole life. From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, I have always been an artist and I am my own canvas. For as long as I could hold a pencil I began to draw at a very early age. I would carry around a sketchbook and draw everything that I saw in public. People, places, and things from my imagination filled each page. I loved drawing. I loved it so much I did it daily without falter. Art has been a part of my life in the form of video games, and real life references. In tandem books have also fuelled my imagination and influenced my art heavily, as I frequently read fantasy books, and sci-fi books as a child to my adult years. Unfortunately I have been struggling with major depressive disorder since I was a child, and I have social anxiety. Art was always there for me when I was alone. I was an only child and my parents left me at the age of three. My grandparents adopted me and they gave me all that they could. It was my grandmother who specifically encouraged me to keep drawing. She saw my potential and she told me to never let it go, but I lost my grip for many years. Depression took so much away from me. Drawing felt like a chore and I was unable to tap back into my child-like imagination to create and build worlds on paper again. I could not bring myself to pick up the pencil again. Depression was eating me alive and all that was left was my hand reaching out. But for what? For my passion that I lost? Deep down in my soul it was fighting to come back, and it fought long and hard. The internal battle within myself lasted 10 years. Until 2023. Although the death of my grandmother in October 2019 affected me deeply, I picked the pencil back up once again. I was and still am struggling, but I can never forget that day when I started again. I remembered the art classes that my grandmother would take me to, even though I have been mainly self taught all my life. I remembered how happy she was to see my drawings when I would show her. I would draw a portrait of her for her birthday, and mother's day. My grandfather also encouraged me, although he was not a big fan of the arts. He would always tell me, “Derek, if you do what you love you will never have to work a day in your life.” This always echoes in my head to this day because I believe that it is true. When I thought back on that, the very first thing that I drew again after 10 years was a portrait of my grandmother after her funeral. Ever since that day I picked up my mechanical pencil again, I have not put it down. I dedicated myself to keep drawing everyday to ‘make up’ the time that I lost to my fight with depression. Drawing has become the reason that I want to get out of bed every single day. It is my dream to become a concept artist or character designer for video games. I love to create people, places, and things that could potentially exist with the familiarity of our world. Art will forever be my passion. Depression will NOT take it from me ever again.

My name is Derek Henry. I have a dream of becoming a character / concept artist for video games. For years I grew up playing countless video games, and I was always amazed by the art on the back of the instruction booklets the games used to come to. I would also study the box art, and to this day I have kept most of my favourite games that have some of the most memorable box art. Street Fighter 4, and The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword are two of my favourite examples of art style combined with music that truly tells a beautiful story, so that those who play it will remember it forever. I want to follow my dreams of being a concept artist because I feel that is what I was made to do. Video games are my biggest inspirations, and is also one of my greatest passions. For years I have studying in college with a major that did not bring me happiness in the way that art always does. I previously wanted to be a private investigator, or a crime scene analyst, but that dream died when I took an unexpected hit in my life. In 2019 I was dealing with taking care of my grandparents that raised me for 5 years. They both were diagnosed with cancer and there was no hope. Unfortunately they died right after the other. Taking care of them was difficult. At such a young age of 20 I was trying my best in college studying criminal justice while taking care of my terminally ill grandparents that raised me. It was a long and difficult 5 years of care, but I do not regret it at all. When they needed me most, I was there just like they were there for me when I was a child. In 2020 my grandmother died of endometrial cancer, and in 2024 my grandfather died of leukaemia. I miss them, but I know they will be smiling knowing that I am going to push for what I want do do with my life. I stopped drawing for years because of the stress and depression that I was fighting. I have been fighting depression since the age of three. As a long time survivor of depression I have come a long way. Depression took drawing away from me for 10 years. I do not want to lose it again. Being self taught has also given me discipline to improve at my craft. Everyday I sit at my desk and I draw what I can to make up for the lost time that depression has taken away from me. Everyday is a fight, but getting up to draw is my motivation to get out of bed everyday. My passion is art and it always has been. I love art and I wish the world was better suited for artists. I want this so bad that I am willing to draw everyday non stop. I had to transfer to a new college to learn some industry standard tools such as, photoshop and take classes such as character design, and creature design. Thank you for your time if you do read this. I just wanted to share my story and see if I will get a shot at this. Thank you again. Attached are 2 of my characters that I created after teaching myself anatomy for a whole summer, as well as some other works that I have been doing as I get better at my digital art coming from a strictly traditional art background.