Jesse Lane has been called a pioneer. He is considered one of the best colored pencil artists in the world. He turns drawings into paintings.

Jesse’s photorealistic portraits have appeared in numerous publications and have won many awards, including top prizes from the International Guild of Realism, the Salmagundi Club and the Colored Pencil Society of America.
But Jesse says he wasn’t born an artist. In fact, when he was 14, his art teacher called him “the worst student” in her class. He attributes his success to determination and perseverance rather than talent. He hopes his story will be an inspiration to aspiring artists.

Born in Houston in 1990, Jesse’s first teacher was his father Jerry, a former illustrator and underground cartoonist. Jesse earned a degree in visualization from Texas A&M University. He also studied art in Italy. Jesse’s dramatic portraits have been featured in publications such as American Art Collector, International Artist, Fine Art Connoisseur, Artist’s Magazine, Southwest Art, The Washington Post and Huffington Post and this year Cover in The Guide Artists.

In 2020, Jesse’s stunning figurative work “Undercurrents” won the world’s highest honor for colored pencil, the CIPPY Award, at the Colored Pencil Society of America’s International Exhibition. That year he also won the Boynes International Emerging Artist Award.

Jesse is represented by a top figurative art gallery, RJD Gallery. He works out of his studio in The Woodlands, Texas with his wife Kinsey, a talented artist, and their two whippets.
He teaches workshops online and throughout the United States and loves to share his passion for colored pencils. His website is jesselaneart.com.