Dru Blair

About this Craftsperson

Dru Blair grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and began studying medicine at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. During his undergraduate studies he discovered his artistic ability and switched majors to fine arts in his senior year, graduating with a BA in fine arts. He later found employment in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as an airbrush artist painting shirts. His rapid success inspired him to continue his education in art at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he earned an MFA and began his career in commercial illustration. Dru won the National Airbrush Excellence Award in 1998, which ushered in a wave of commercial opportunities. The following year he produced his first aviation painting, Power, which became the first of three Air Force Magazine covers and remains the number-one-selling aviation print in existence. In 1997, he founded the Blair School of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina, which evolved into the Blair School of Realism in his ancestral hometown of Blair, South Carolina. Dru is an Air Force Association Life Member, Army Aviation Association of America Life Member, member of the North Carolina Association of Designers and Illustrators, member of the Graphic Artists Guild, Artist Fellow member of the American Society of Aviation Artists, and board member of the International Airbrush Association. Some of Dru’s work includes popular themes such as the Budweiser Bullfrogs. He was the official artist for Star Trek: Voyager book covers, as well as several of the other Star Trek licensees. He has worked for some of America’s most recognized companies, including Coca-Cola, Nabisco, and Procter & Gamble, to name just a few.

Click on a Class for Details

2026-017-introduction-to-drawing-learn-to-draw-w-blair__1

April 13-17, 2026

Introduction to Drawing: Learn How to Draw Anything

with Dru Blair

2026-165w-Learn-to-Air-Brush-the-Right-Way-w-Blair__1

August 15-16, 2026

Learn to Air Brush the Right Way

with Dru Blair

2026-171-Airbrushing-Elements-of-Photorealistic-w-Blair__1

August 17-21, 2026

Airbrushing: Elements of Photorealistic Painting

with Dru Blair

Updated November 2025

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