Darrell White in his studio with the oil painting "In it's wake" on the easel behind him
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Darrell moved to Perth in the mid 1980’s with his family. He left High School early to follow in his parents’ footsteps to pursue a career in the Royal Australian Navy as a Signalman.
In the Navy, he regularly photographed ships in company, with the vision of one day capturing the scenes laid out before him in oils. Limited space onboard was not conducive to painting, so Darrell became highly skilled with graphite pencil. The attention to detail in these drawings came to a point where they were being mistaken for photographs.
After serving nearly 7 years in the Navy, Darrell left to pursue studies in Art and Graphic Design. During this period he began producing his highly detailed pencil drawings of Australian and New Zealand naval vessels. Two of these originals were purchased by the National Maritime Museum of Australia, with the Navy showcasing 12 of his drawings in their official calendar.
After several years as a professional Graphic Designer, Darrell has now dedicated all of his time to his art, pursuing his passion for creating photorealistic images in both pencil and oils.
Naval scenes still dominate Darrell’s collection, but landscapes and historical events are now subjects that he is keen to explore.
For further information or enquires about commissions, please email Darrell at his East Victoria Park studio or call 0421 107 634.