ABOUT DANLINZ_ART
Credits: @danlinz_art on Instagram
Danlin Zhang (she/her) is an illustrator and teacher based in New York. She's always loved drawing ever since she was small and originally wanted to become a comic artist or animator. However, after pursuing illustration in college, she discovered that illustration allows her to connect with other people's stories and questions, and she finds it rewarding to use her skills and artistic perspective to help bring their ideas to life visually.
She mainly works with traditional ink and pen linework to create her art and uses Photoshop for digital coloring. In the past, she's worked with The New York Times, HarperCollins, and others. Additionally, she has received extensive recognition for her work, including awards from the Art Directors Club, American Illustration, the Society of Illustrators, and the International Society of News Design, and she was also featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2026.
Where do you find inspiration
for your designs?
I find inspiration from several sources. Nature is a constant influence, and music often helps me shape the mood or atmosphere of a piece. I'm also a photographer, and that practice has been invaluable in helping me design my compositions and understand perspective. When I need more specific inspiration, I often turn to art history books and find inspiration from the masters, like the portraits of John Singer Sargent or the landscapes of J.C. Dahl.
Do you have a favorite piece of art you've created to date? What makes it special to you?
I really enjoyed the projects I created during my MFA. This was right when COVID hit; I had to move out of NYC, and there was so much uncertainty. Those projects truly carried me through that difficult time, especially my Visual Essay project, which gave me the chance to have a deep conversation with my mother about her childhood. The process was a real struggle, and looking back, I know I could do so much better now, but I'm still deeply moved every time I revisit those works. They remind me of what I was feeling and thinking during that incredibly pressured and transformative stage. I've always wanted to revisit and refine some of them when I have the time.
DANLINZ_ART X OWLCRATE
Danlin (@danlinz_art) is the artist behind:
- The exclusive redesigned dust jacket on the OwlCrate edition of Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin, which was featured in the May 2024 “Traverse The Realms” Young Adult Fantasy Box.
- The exclusive redesigned dust jacket on the OwlCrate edition of The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong, which was featured in the December 2024 “Fortune’s Favor” Young Adult Fantasy Box.
- The exclusive redesigned cover on the OwlCrate edition of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, which was featured in the September 2023 “Drown Your Secrets” Young Adult Fantasy Box.
