A Danville artist has been chalking up the city with colorful works.
Will Justus found a true passion for art his senior year of high school, in a graphic design class. Although he doodled growing up, he said he would not describe the hobby as a “passion” until that point.
“I think the teacher I had was really a big part in creating that passion for me, in making something beautiful,” he said.
The Danville-based artist hopes to become an elementary school art teacher, and is on his way toward that goal – but the journey to being a rising chalk artist, like his undergraduate track, was not what Justus called “typical.”
After graduating Blacksburg High School, Justus went to Virginia Tech with the intent to pursue a degree in Graphic Design. He felt out of his league, however, surrounded by classmates who had been more seriously into art for much of their lives, and seemed to have more skill and experience. After knocking out general education courses, Justus was not sure what to pursue if not graphic design. So, he entered the workforce for a couple of years until he returned to school at Averett University in Danville to pursue a degree in elementary education, specifically hoping to teach third grade.
A year into that program, however, Justus was faced with 90 more credits required in three years to finish the elementary education degree he was working toward. He already had a little more than 70 credits from his previous schooling, and because of that, combined with the two-year break from undergrad, he decided to seek the quickest route to graduation, with an option to get a provisional license to teach.
Art turned out to be the quickest way to graduation based on his education history, and worked toward Justus’s ultimate career goal, as well as staving off burnout.
“I guess I’ve always been a little creative in other endeavors,” he said.
The chalk art started out as a romantic gesture to his girlfriend. Justus left chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of her house periodically, and the family encouraged this art. He eventually got the idea to ask his boss at the Ruby B. Archie public library, where Justus works part-time, if he could draw something on the library walkway. Permission was granted, and on a quiet Sunday, Justus drew a lotus blossom growing out of a book.
The chalk drawing turned into a social media sensation on the library’s Facebook page.
“I got a huge reception after they posted it on their Facebook. It was over 100 likes, and a bunch of comments. A typical library post would get maybe 10 to 20 likes, and maybe a comment or two, so that was kind of the moment that I realized, it seems there’s kind of a demand for something like this here in Danville,” Justus said.
What was once a personal endeavor became more public.
He went on to do more chalk art for various themed library programs and events – a big green dragon and a flaming meteor adorned the library walkway at various points for fairytale and “to the library and beyond” themes – and through this practice, he perfected his technique and artistic skills.
Since mid-September of last year, Justus said his chalk art career has skyrocketed. Last month, he launched social media profiles specifically for his art.
Justus got permission from the Dean of Students at Averett University to do chalk art around campus, primarily focused on promoting events or raising awareness.
Last September, he made a 36-by-24 foot piece on campus celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The following month, for October, he created a breast cancer awareness work chalked on a flight of stairs. He recently did a chalk drawing in front of a rehab center in Danville for Veterans Day. Additional projects cropped up around the city, including a Halloween display in front of a Danville dentist office.
Justus’s chalk projects typically start out with a sketch, then get filled in from there. Drawings can take him anywhere from two-and-a-half hours, to 12 hours to complete.
“It’s a wide range,” he said.
Having an eye for perspective is part of the art, but so is using the boost of software. Justus said he is developing an eye for perspective the more work he does with chalk, but to assist in the process – especially for creating art on a staircase – the software Procreate allows him to take a photo of his “canvas,” be it stairs or a patch of concrete or asphalt, and put guiding gridlines up over the image to help visualize what he needs to do to achieve the proper look. He often draws the gridlines on the physical surface to guide his art.
Chalk is a unique medium compared to others such as watercolors, oil paints, sketching, and the like.
“I think it’s something about the way it blends, the way I can use my hands to manipulate it a little bit,” Justus said. “It’s really a condensed powder, so the stroke of my hand… increased pressure can yield more vibrant colors. I can use my hand to pack it down and make sure those colors stay there, and then if I want something a little bit more soft or gradient from a dark to a light, it’s really easy to use a brush to create that. A lot of those techniques have been something I’ve just learned from trial and error.”
For Justus, the most meaningful part of doing chalk art has been the feedback, which so far is overwhelmingly positive.
“I think it has to be the personal messages and comments that I’ve received from complete strangers, saying my art has moved them in some way, or given them hope, or joy, or happiness,” he said.
Working in public spaces, Justus and pedestrians typically work around each other. Overall, he said people are respectful of what he is doing, taking care not to step on or interfere with a work in progress. Afterward, of course, the community engages with the art almost inevitably by walking across it.
“I can’t stress enough that I really don’t mind, because it’s meant to be walked on,” Justus said. “It shows that it’s very much a part of the architecture or the construction of the building.”
Even the transience of chalk art – so susceptible to and dependent upon the elements – can be beautiful, despite hours of work washing away with the rain.
“The best way I can look at it is, it’s a blank canvas for me to work on again,” Justus said.
Requests for commissions have been flooding in, Justus said. Projects have been growing bigger, more prominent and complex. He is scheduled for a community chalk event in April.
Justus’s ultimate goal is to be an elementary school art teacher. He specifically hopes to work with third-graders.
“I think that I can bring my sidewalk chalk into the classroom, and have it be a primary focus. It is very much a child medium,” he said. “I think it does a good job at teaching some of the principles of design, with color and texture. You’re always working on different surfaces. The chalk goes down a lot different on a piece of brick rather than asphalt, or a cement slab.”
Justus is currently slated to graduate with his degree in Art next December, and he is learning how to juggle a budding chalk art career with the final stretch of schooling.
“I’m more in the stage of, let’s see where it takes me,” he said.
Although he would love to do chalk art full-time, he has also been working long and hard toward a college degree.
“It feels like art in general is a very ebb and flow. You have very high highs, and very low lows. Either reception of your art, or you go through creative blocks or something like that. It’s hard not to forge in the fire when the iron’s hot, you know?”
Regardless of what the next year looks like, Justus does not plan to stop making chalk art. His work can be followed on Facebook and Instagram, @justuschalkingitup.
By SHANON KELLYStar-Tribune Staff Writer
A Danville artist has been chalking up the city with colorful works.Will Justus found a true passion for art his senior year of high school, in a graphic design class. Although he doodled growing up, he said he would not describe the hobby as a “passion” until that point.“I think the teacher I had was really a big part in creating that passion for me, in making something beautiful,” he said. The Danville-based artist hopes to become an elementary school art teacher, and is on his way toward that goal – but the journey to being a rising chalk artist, like his undergraduate track, was not what Justus called “typical.”After graduating Blacksburg High School, Justus went to Virginia Tech with the intent to pursue a degree in Graphic Design. He felt out of his league, however, surrounded by classmates who had been more seriously into art for much of their lives, and seemed to have more skill and experience. After knocking out general education courses, Justus was not sure what to pursue if not graphic design. So, he entered the workforce for a couple of years until he returned to school at Averett University in Danville to pursue a degree in elementary education, specifically hoping to teach third grade.A year into that program, however, Justus was faced with 90 more credits required in three years to finish the elementary education degree he was working toward. He already had a little more than 70 credits from his previous schooling, and because of that, combined with the two-year break from undergrad, he decided to seek the quickest route to graduation, with an option to get a provisional license to teach. Art turned out to be the quickest way to graduation based on his education history, and worked toward Justus’s ultimate career goal, as well as staving off burnout. “I guess I’ve always been a little creative in other endeavors,” he said. The chalk art started out as a romantic gesture to his girlfriend. Justus left chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of her house periodically, and the family encouraged this art. He eventually got the idea to ask his boss at the Ruby B. Archie public library, where Justus works part-time, if he could draw something on the library walkway. Permission was granted, and on a quiet Sunday, Justus drew a lotus blossom growing out of a book. The chalk drawing turned into a social media sensation on the library’s Facebook page.“I got a huge reception after they posted it on their Facebook. It was over 100 likes, and a bunch of comments. A typical library post would get maybe 10 to 20 likes, and maybe a comment or two, so that was kind of the moment that I realized, it seems there’s kind of a demand for something like this here in Danville,” Justus said.What was once a personal endeavor became more public. He went on to do more chalk art for various themed library programs and events – a big green dragon and a flaming meteor adorned the library walkway at various points for fairytale and “to the library and beyond” themes – and through this practice, he perfected his technique and artistic skills. Since mid-September of last year, Justus said his chalk art career has skyrocketed. Last month, he launched social media profiles specifically for his art. Justus got permission from the Dean of Students at Averett University to do chalk art around campus, primarily focused on promoting events or raising awareness. Last September, he made a 36-by-24 foot piece on campus celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The following month, for October, he created a breast cancer awareness work chalked on a flight of stairs. He recently did a chalk drawing in front of a rehab center in Danville for Veterans Day. Additional projects cropped up around the city, including a Halloween display in front of a Danville dentist office.Justus’s chalk projects typically start out with a sketch, then get filled in from there. Drawings can take him anywhere from two-and-a-half hours, to 12 hours to complete.“It’s a wide range,” he said. Having an eye for perspective is part of the art, but so is using the boost of software. Justus said he is developing an eye for perspective the more work he does with chalk, but to assist in the process – especially for creating art on a staircase – the software Procreate allows him to take a photo of his “canvas,” be it stairs or a patch of concrete or asphalt, and put guiding gridlines up over the image to help visualize what he needs to do to achieve the proper look. He often draws the gridlines on the physical surface to guide his art.Chalk is a unique medium compared to others such as watercolors, oil paints, sketching, and the like. “I think it’s something about the way it blends, the way I can use my hands to manipulate it a little bit,” Justus said. “It’s really a condensed powder, so the stroke of my hand… increased pressure can yield more vibrant colors. I can use my hand to pack it down and make sure those colors stay there, and then if I want something a little bit more soft or gradient from a dark to a light, it’s really easy to use a brush to create that. A lot of those techniques have been something I’ve just learned from trial and error.”For Justus, the most meaningful part of doing chalk art has been the feedback, which so far is overwhelmingly positive.“I think it has to be the personal messages and comments that I’ve received from complete strangers, saying my art has moved them in some way, or given them hope, or joy, or happiness,” he said. Working in public spaces, Justus and pedestrians typically work around each other. Overall, he said people are respectful of what he is doing, taking care not to step on or interfere with a work in progress. Afterward, of course, the community engages with the art almost inevitably by walking across it.“I can’t stress enough that I really don’t mind, because it’s meant to be walked on,” Justus said. “It shows that it’s very much a part of the architecture or the construction of the building.” Even the transience of chalk art – so susceptible to and dependent upon the elements – can be beautiful, despite hours of work washing away with the rain. “The best way I can look at it is, it’s a blank canvas for me to work on again,” Justus said.Requests for commissions have been flooding in, Justus said. Projects have been growing bigger, more prominent and complex. He is scheduled for a community chalk event in April.Justus’s ultimate goal is to be an elementary school art teacher. He specifically hopes to work with third-graders. “I think that I can bring my sidewalk chalk into the classroom, and have it be a primary focus. It is very much a child medium,” he said. “I think it does a good job at teaching some of the principles of design, with color and texture. You’re always working on different surfaces. The chalk goes down a lot different on a piece of brick rather than asphalt, or a cement slab.”Justus is currently slated to graduate with his degree in Art next December, and he is learning how to juggle a budding chalk art career with the final stretch of schooling.“I’m more in the stage of, let’s see where it takes me,” he said. Although he would love to do chalk art full-time, he has also been working long and hard toward a college degree. “It feels like art in general is a very ebb and flow. You have very high highs, and very low lows. Either reception of your art, or you go through creative blocks or something like that. It’s hard not to forge in the fire when the iron’s hot, you know?”Regardless of what the next year looks like, Justus does not plan to stop making chalk art. His work can be followed on Facebook and Instagram, @justuschalkingitup.
