For me, art started gaining traction as one of my main interests when I was in Junior High School. In Junior High and High school, I enrolled in many art classes and it seemed that graphite would be my thing going forward. But, I discovered a new media while attending college....
1999 is the year I first picked up the airbrush. As I discovered its versatility, I realized it was a natural fit for me. While browsing through one of those airbrush magazines, I came across a featured artist named Jennifer Janesko, and the brilliant fleshtones and captivating eyes in her artwork began my gravitation towards pin-up art. At just 20, I had no idea what I wanted to do artistically, but the desire to continue with pin-up style art with my handy airbrush didn’t waiver.
My first paying art gig also began in 1999; I became a caricature artist at Adventureland located in Altoona, Iowa. The summer of 1999 on the grounds of a local amusement park surrounded by the smell of cotton candy and corn dogs, I worked towards refining my airbrush skills. While creating caricature after caricature of excitable children and families, I did not lose sight of my interest in the pin-up style of painting. I continued to dabble in pin-up art on my own time while taking on the challenging task of developing my own style. In 2007, I participated in my first art exhibition with my pin-up work. That same year, I retired from caricature work.
Airbrush has always been my dominant media, but over the years I have developed techniques to incorporate colored-pencils, heavy acrylics, and metallic inks with the airbrush to create my own style. I also build my own painting panels and sometimes create artwork on alternative surfaces such as salvaged wood flooring or junk vinyl records. I'm always striving to improve my skills and expand my techniques. I do a lot of drawing with colored-pencils too, especially for developing ideas. A great drawing will lead to a great painting.
I'm creating all the time, and I also stay active participating in art exhibits and comic conventions. My artwork even gave me the opportunity to serve as a special-guest judge at the Miss Des Moines Pin-Up contest in 2017! It was a great experience, and a prime example of how pin-up culture is alive and well.
You can follow my work on Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter: @SteveBaierArt