Meet Lovell Hunley III

Lovell Hunley III is a self-taught digital artist. Born in Charleston, SC, Lovell was exposed to the art world as a child by watching his grand-aunt paint ceramic figures. Lovell’s interest in art then turned to drawing cartoon characters and various animals. During his school years, he caught the eye of his art teachers and began entering art contests around the city. Lovell would continue to draw for fun through his grade school years.

That passion came back in 2016 when he enrolled in an online school for graphic design. Even though he decided not to continue with the schooling after a year, Lovell was determined to continue to follow his passion. He would eventually begin teaching himself digital painting. While learning various methods, Lovell became comfortable with portrait painting using a style that is modern mixed with abstract.

Lovell began to sharpen his skills and catch the eye of more people via social media. He started doing commission work and launched an online store to sell his artwork. Even though Lovell is relatively new in the current world of art, he has managed to catch the eye of a few celebrities. James Todd Smith, a.k.a. LL Cool J, requested a piece that Lovell created. Mr. Smith has it front and center in his office space.

Lovell Hunley, Afrocentric, 2020, Digital Art

My art is inspired by Black history, current events, and sports and entertainment. Painting people with expressions or painting a snapshot of memorable moments in history fuels my desire to share more work. I enjoy painting abstract art and textured art. Abstract art allows me to paint without any boundaries and create different pieces of art that stand out. Textured painting allows me to create pieces that have depth to them. If one were to look at a painting, they would be able to “feel” the textures of the canvas.

I draw inspiration from a few artists I follow on social media. The state of the world today is a big catalyst for the type of art I create. I try to envision myself in the moment and then use my digital software to create what I hope will be memorable pieces. I am open to trying different styles of painting to give my artwork different looks. Currently, I am working on grayscale pieces styled with splashes of color and thick paint.