| Dustin Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dustin Alexander Hunter |
| Also known as | Dusty, dustyohunter |
| Origin | Olympia, Washington, United States |
| Genres | Rock, Pop, Synthpop, New Wave, Indie Rock, Folk Rock, Alternative Rock, Lo-fi, Garage Rock |
| Occupations | Musician, Composer, Record producer, Audio Engineer, Make-up Artist, Illustrator |
| Instruments | Vocals, Piano, Keyboard, Synthesizer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Percussion |
| Years active | 1998-present |
| Labels | Interpretive Sunrise Records, Dustys Records |
| Associated acts | Screeching Felines, F.a.S., Peto-a-gogo, Todd James Luque, Jade Jericho |
| Website | Official Site |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fury Bandit, Norma Electric Guitars | |
Dustin Hunter (born Dustin Alexander Hunter, aka dustyohunter) is an American artist, singer-songwriter, make-up artist and internet personality.
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Dustin Hunter was born in the Pacific Northwest city of Olympia, Washington.[1] Raised in Olympia by his mother Alice and stepfather,[2] Hunter was a creative child who spent much of his time illustrating and creating comic-style superhero characters.[3] His fascination with make-up was sparked at a very young age after seeing a behind-the-scenes special on Michael Jackson's Thriller video.[4] While attending Olympia High School, ambitions of becoming a comic book artist gave way to a love of fashion design, makeup artistry and photography.[5]
Dustin Hunter started making music electronically via a single-track audio editing software program.[6] Taking samples from other artists' songs and digitally manipulating them until they were almost unidentifiable and then "gluing" the pieces back together again to form completely instrumental songs and soundscapes. "It wasn't until three or four years of mixing and recording that I worked up the nerve to use my voice in any way." Hunter stated in a blog post.[7]
He sites glam rock artists like Marc Bolan and new-wave bands like The Cars as major influences in his music.[8] In 2011 he released his most recent album "Benediction" on his own label via iTunes and several other on-line retailers.[9] A limited edition Deluxe Edition of the album with hand-drawn artwork was also made available.[10]
Throughout his early youth and teen years Hunter would frequently work as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. Some of his earliest works involved a monthly newsletter and cartoon strip for a nationwide electronics distributor.[11] Although his background is in traditional fine art and illustration, Hunter is not one to shy away from new challenges; in the early oughts his love of art and industry garnered him the opportunity to develop the visual concept and infrastructure for a chain of DVD-rental stores. These design concepts have been featured in nation-wide publications and have received recognition for their uniqueness and creativity.[12]
In 2000 he met Jay Becker and in 2003, they started the multimedia design company, Aakshara.[13] While at Aakshara, Hunter's illustration work caught the attention of an editor at DC Comics and he was asked to illustrate pieces for a tie-in in The Dark Knight franchise.[14]
Presently he continues to illustrate and design for himself and private clients; creating album graphics, websites and posters for independent musicians and performers.
Most of Dustin Hunter's recognition as a makeup artist comes from the launch of his YouTube channel. In 2009 he entered a creative makeup contest that was being held by a popular channel on YouTube and, though he didn't win, the subsequent attention he received prompted him to begin creating his own videos.[15] On his YouTube channel Hunter shares his knowledge and experience as a makeup artist; presenting his audience with a mix of professional tips, advice, product reviews, education and humor.[16] He has cited Food Network show Good Eats with Alton Brown as a major influence in the style of his videos.[17]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Gods of Olympia | Café Customer[18] |