Mark Sparacio

Successful illustrator, Mark Sparacio studied sequential art for three years under the legendary Will Eisner—recognized as the creator of the Graphic Novel—at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, where he earned a B.F.A. in Illustration and Sequential Art. While still in school, Sparacio received his first professional assignment to create a painting for the movie poster for the United Artist International film, The Draughtsman’s Contract. This opportunity resulted in a long run as a freelance illustrator in the advertising industry.

After working for both Marvel and D.C. Comics and creating covers for Comics Buyer's Guide and The Overstreet Price Guide, creating paintings for card sets for UpperDeck/DC Comics and for Topps' Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids, Sparacio developed his second creator-owned graphic novel series, Chelsea Dagger. The series was conceived, written, drawn and with painted covers by Sparacio and with the help of interior digital painter Chris Summers and letterer/assistant editor Marshall Dillon. After book one's critical success, Sparacio is currently drawing and painting covers for Chelsea Dagger and the Women of Excalibur books II and III. He is also writing, drawing and creating painted covers for two American Mythology productions and comic book series Witch Hammer and Bombshell and TommTomm, which have release dates of late summer 2023.

Sparacio is the Artist in Residence at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, where he teaches many traditional art classes and helped to create the new Visual Art and Design B.F.A. When he's not in his studio and needs a place to sleep, Sparacio lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with his wife ToniAnn.

• Bachelors of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts, New York, New York.

My teaching philosophy is what I learned from my teachers at the School of Visual Arts. I teach the very basics in detail of each technique, whether it be drawing, painting or comics and sequential art, in simple easy to understand terminology and then I demonstrate the techniques in class for the students to visually understand and comprehend what I’ve said. Then the students practice the techniques themselves under my tutelage.

• Basic Drawing
• Principles of Design
• Comics and Sequential Art
• Figure Drawing
• Expressive Drawing
• Story Boarding
• Painting Classes

My area of scholarship lies in Traditional Art. I learned from some of the best painters, illustrators and comic book artists while studying at the School of Visual Arts.