About David Brooks

Taking walks with a sketchbook and folding chair, David looks for anything that catches his eye, a shape, some light or a feeling, and stops to sketch. Then, returning to his favorite scenes with a pochade box, he paints them alla prima.

David currently lives in Kirkland, WA and has always had a passion for painting and drawing. His passion for art was evident from an early age when drawing was his favorite thing to do and art supplies were his favorite birthday gifts to receive. As a young adult, he studied with Seattle artist Marsha Lippert and fell in love with dry pastels and portraiture. During that time, he would take his easel all around town - to Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, the Kirkland Marina, and festivals around Seattle - where he made hundreds of pastel portraits of friends and folks. He earned a BFA in painting and drawing from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2004. He spent a summer studying at The International School of Art in Umbria, Italy. Recently, he traveled to China where he studied classical realism and hosted classical figure drawing sessions in his art studio. 

Painting mostly landscapes, still lifes, and portraits en plein air, David’s style is free and expressive with a focus on color and light.

He currently does mostly representational work. Landscapes, still lifes, and portraits all done en plein air. His style is free and expressive with a focus on color and light.