"Shortly after I became involved with computer graphics 16 years ago, the technology began to explode," he says. "My own skills grew and improved with the expanding technology."
Nielsen frequently shows his professional work to his students, and his creations are beginning to stir national interest.
"I tell my first-semester students that in five to 10 years, they can be doing the same kind of work I'm doing. I also tell them that there are no shortcuts to getting where you want to go. There's no substitute for hard work."
Nielsen's passion for his art form is apparent.
"It generally takes hundreds of hours to complete a single drawing," he says. "I'm obsessed with working on my art every day. Any day that I don't draw, I consider to be a wasted day."
Nielsen says his students feed his desire to be creative.
"I love spending time with students in class, but I get so excited watching them work that I can't wait for class to be over so that I can go back to my computer. My students constantly inspire me."
Nielsen's work has appeared in four major national publications in recent months. He's also done drawings for a variety of corporations.
Nielsen's describes his computer graphics images as paintings. They look highly realistic, and, at first glance, are indistinguishable from high-end photographs.
"My current work is based on my fascination with all the intricate machine parts of a motorcycle that make it run, but not from an engineer's standpoint," he says. "I look at motorcycles from a purely aesthetic point of view. I don't know how to ride a motorcycle, but I know how to draw one!"
Nielsen was born in Southern California. His great grandfather was a Danish painter.
"I've always loved to draw, as far back as I can remember," he says. "At 2 years of age, I remember laying on my grandmother's floor and drawing Flintstone characters off the Fruity Pebbles box."
