Although teachers often cited his artistic ability, Steve Hanks' main interest while growing up around San Francisco was sports.

After his family moved to Albuquerque in 1966, Steve Hanks decided to study commercial art. However, at the Academy of Fine Arts, he discovered the challenge of drawing people. He graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, during the explosive sixties.

Steve Hanks was deeply affected by the maelstrom of shifting attitudes, as evidenced by his art. Initially, his works were pencil drawings and oils. Steve Hanks' paintings were impressionistic while his drawings were realistic. Eventually, an allergic reaction to oils forced him to experiment with watercolors. Using the techniques learned from his other mediums, he found he could create watercolors as "finished" as oils.

Art jurors began recognizing the quality of his work in 1973. Steve Hanks won the Arts for the Parks Marine Art Award of Excellence in 1990 and 1994, and has been one of the Arts for the Parks top 100 artists since 1989. In 1991, Steve Hanks received the National Watercolor Society Merit Award and the National Academy of Western Art awarded him the Gold Medal in 1992. Since 1993, he has been one of U.S. Art Magazine's top ten American artists. His original works are in high demand by both public and private collectors.

steve hanks limited edition prints
see steve hanks original art