3.Kadir Nelson

After working at an elementary school and having to read plenty of books, I came across a book with illustrations by Kadir Nelson in Debbie Allen's Dancing in the Wings. Kadir Nelson is a well know and critically acclaimed illustrator and artist; who has received many awards and honors for children books.

                                "I have always been an artist, Its part of my DNA."

Nelson studied at Pratt institute in Brooklyn, NY.  After graduating he began the life as an artist searching for work. He began doing work for Sports Illustrated, Coco-cola, The New York Times, Major League Baseball and Dreamworks. His career in childrens books started when he did illustrations for Big Jade, written by Jerdine Nolen. His work earned him an award from the New York Society of Illustrators. Debbie Allen who took notice and asked him to illustrate a couple of her books, Brothers of the Knight and Dancing in the Wings. 
An Artist to the celebrities, many of his works can be found in collections by sports figures, musicians and actors (Will Smith, Venus Williams, Spike Lee...). As an African American Nelsons work has been exhibited in the Museum of African  American History in Detroit and The Negro Baseball Museum in Kansas City.


I love when artist elongate their figures in their work, especially when its has to do with sports. It makes the action a lot more dramatic. Nelson, elongates the figures almost like their adolescents and have not grown into their body just yet.