About Dan Studios

Developing creative confidence. Building exceptional portfolios.

I'm Dan Hickey, founder of Dan Studios, an international art educator and portfolio mentor with over a decade of experience teaching and supporting young artists and designers.

Throughout my career, I've helped students develop their creative abilities and prepare portfolios for leading art, design and architecture universities around the world.

I believe the strongest portfolios are more than collections of impressive artwork. They reveal how a student thinks, explores ideas, solves problems and develops their own creative voice.

That's why I established Dan Studios: to offer students thoughtful, individual guidance throughout their creative journey. From identifying the right university pathways and developing original projects to refining practical skills, curating portfolios and preparing for interviews, my role is to help students develop with confidence and purpose.

My approach is built around three principles: Define, Design and Deliver.

Dan Hickey · Founder, Dan Studios

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10+

Years of Experience

IB

Visual Art Examiner

Head of Art

UWCSEA East

Portfolio Consultant

Founder Dan Studios

Logo for The New School Parsons featuring bold red text on a white background.
Logo of Maryland Institute College of Art with the initials MICA
The logo of Rhode Island School of Design, featuring a circular blue emblem with the words 'Rhode Island School of Design 1877' and 'RISD' in the center, with decorative flourishes.
Logo of University of the Arts London with text 'ual: university of the arts london'
Logo of the Royal College of Art featuring a crest with a lion and unicorn, and text indicating postgraduate art and design programs.
University of Cambridge coat of arms with the text 'University of Cambridge' below.
Logo of California College of the Arts with the acronym 'CCA' and the full name below.
ArtCenter logo with an orange circle next to the words 'ArtCenter' in black text.
Logo of SAIC, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, featuring a large black square with 'SAIC' in bold white letters and the institute's name to the right.
Pratt logo on a yellow background.
School of Visual Arts logo with a red abstract floral design and black text.
University of Edinburgh logo featuring a crest with a shield, book, and a Latin motto

The Dan Studios Framework

Every Dan Studios programme follows a structured approach to developing creative confidence, individual projects and exceptional portfolios.

Define

Discover your creative interests, research potential pathways and establish a clear portfolio direction

Design

Build technical skills, explore ideas, experiment and develop meaningful personal projects.

Deliver

Refine and curate your portfolio, articulate your ideas and prepare confidently for applications.

Our Success Stories.

Sculpture of two human faces made from crushed and crumpled cardboard boxes, positioned facing each other against a plain beige wall.

Mark Wong

Accepted to RISD, UAL, and Parsons

“Loving art, being enthusiastic and passionate was something I learned from Mr. Hickey. His support, honest advice, and deep understanding of his students gave me the freedom to explore my own voice. That made all the difference.”

Pixelated mosaic of Mona Lisa painting.

Cherry

Accepted to Pratt, Parsons, CalArts, SVA, Otis, and Syracuse

“Mr. Hickey helped me lean into my fascination with humor and the absurd. His mentoring gave clarity to my creative voice and shaped a portfolio that truly reflected who I am as an artist.”

Contact Dan.

If you would like to book a consultation, ask a question about Dan Studios’ services or talk to Dan, then fill in this form and we will attend to your requested promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Dan Studios is a specialist art and design portfolio consultancy led by educator Daniel Hickey. We help students in Asia and worldwide create competitive portfolios for top art, design, and architecture universities.

  • Dan is an international art educator with over a decade of experience in leading schools across Asia and Europe. He has guided students into top institutions such as RISD, Parsons, Cambridge, UAL, and CalArts.

  • Unlike traditional art classes, Dan Studios blends technical training, conceptual development, and strategic guidance. Our Define–Design–Deliver framework ensures every portfolio is both authentic and aligned with university admissions requirements.

  • Students have received offers from leading global schools including RISD, Parsons, Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, UAL, Pratt, CalArts, and MICA.

  • Yes. Our programs are designed for a global audience. With a fully online model, students across Asia and around the world can access mentorship, courses, and consultancy without geographic barriers.

  • Absolutely. Many of our students apply to architecture programs, and we specialize in guiding them through architectural thinking, drawing, model-making, and portfolio curation.

  • Define (clarity & strategy), Design (creativity & craft), Deliver (execution & success) — a proven three-step process that helps students build strong, competitive portfolios.