Derek Blanks received his B.F.A. degree from the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore. He has served as a painter and freelance illustrator for galleries, museums, and art publications, and he currently works as a graphic artist and photographer who has done campaigns and cover shoots for CoverGirl, ESSENCE, BET Networks, and Sony Music Entertainment, among others. To find out more about Derek Blanks, visit dblanks.com.