Biography

For 60 years, Dan Nicholl concentrated his talents on architectural illustration and fine art.  He was one of a group of illustrators, including John Hollingsworth, Ross Barr, Wayne Smith, Dave Purciel and Bill Hilliard, who began their careers in the Los Angeles area during the "golden decade of development" that started in the mid 60's. In recent years, Dan's illustrations have been brought to life through computer animation working in conjunction with Gary Headrick and Associates.

Born in Salt Lake City, Dan spent much of his younger years in Los Angeles where he developed his talent for drawing and painting.  Over the years, Dan has worked with a number of the region's most renowned architectural, engineering and landscape firms including WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong Goo), A. C. Martin, SOM, Gensler, A. V. Design, KCV (Klages Carter Vail), EDAW, Sasaki/Walker, Parsons Engineering, Bechtel Corporation, JPL, California University System/USC, and many more.

Dan's passion for painting and his keen eye for design are evident in the numerous renderings that he has created for buildings throughout California and around the world.  In addition to his architectural illustrations, Dan's commissioned art work encompasses a diverse range of subjects and settings.

Although the architectural illustration industry has moved to computer generated illustrations, Dan's unique style remained very much in vogue with his clients.  Dan was a master of combining the ethereal qualities of watercolor, the finesse of fine art and the accuracy of traditional line drawing into highly detailed illustrations and renderings.  Dan's watercolor sketches and paintings captured the essence and the experience of each particular setting, place or subject.

Dan lived in Durango, Colorado, from 1998 until his death in 2020, where the natural beauty of the surrounding area inspired his fine art work.  In addition to his professional and commissioned work, Dan often donated his time and talent to a wide variety of community, philanthropic and volunteer organizations.

The following work is a sampling of the breadth and depth of his architectural illustrations, paintings and sketches.