MEET DAVID MASTERS

THE ARTIST BEHIND

SURREAL24SEVEN

THE ARTIST BEHIND SURREAL24SEVEN

DAVID MASTERS

Alongside his commercial work, founder David Masters continues

his personal art practice under the name Surreal24seven.

His work explores surrealism, emotion, memory, isolation, identity, and atmosphere through cinematic digital compositions that blur the line between reality and imagination. Built through layered photographic manipulation and digital compositing, each piece is designed to create feeling, curiosity, and lasting impact.

What began as a deeply personal creative outlet eventually evolved into an internationally recognized body of work, exhibited in galleries worldwide and featured in competitions, NFT collections, and large-scale digital billboard installations.

That artistic background continues to shape the creative philosophy behind Inspired24seven.

Years spent creating emotionally driven artwork developed a deeper understanding of visual storytelling, composition, mood, and what makes an image truly memorable. Combined with more than 15 years of branding and web design experience, this creates an approach that balances artistic perspective with strategic thinking.

The goal is never simply to make something look good. It is to create work people connect with, remember, and return to.

Selected works, one-of-one prints, and commissions are available through the Surreal24seven collection.

Four artistic images: Top left shows a woman with tattooed legs and a tattooed arm, wearing a black dress and high heels, watering a vintage baby carriage in a dark, textured room with ornate black wall sconces. Top right depicts paper-mâché faces of a man and a woman with a cityscape collaged background, illuminated by a streetlamp, with graffiti-like text. Bottom left features a girl with red hair and a white dress standing at a pink cotton candy stand labeled "Cotton Candy Clouds" in a fantastical pink-tinted landscape with cotton candy clouds and a pink sky. Bottom right shows a woman with her back to the viewer, with exposed skeletal details painted on her back, sitting at a worn piano in an overgrown, abandoned room lit by sunlight streaming through broken windows, with vines hanging from the ceiling.

FROM STORY TO SURREAL

The unseen process

behind the art

Each piece starts with a story I want to tell. Once I can see it clearly in my head, I ask myself what more I can add to express it better. That’s one of my favorite parts, letting new ideas flow and mixing them with the original thought. It’s like adding seasoning to a meal; it brings the whole thing to life.

Neon sign of a matchstick with a flame

Then I spend a few days in AI, creating around 50 to 100 images. They’re not finished artworks, just raw material that I’ll later bring into Photoshop. Since I used to mix free stock photos years ago, putting together legs, clothing, and faces, I became very careful about posture, angles, and proportions. I still apply that same precision when using AI.

Three neon orange square frames of different sizes on a black background.

Once I’ve gathered enough material, I build the final composition in Photoshop. I remove backgrounds, match colors, and add shadows until it all feels natural. That usually takes a week or two. Then I move the piece into Lightroom for dramatic color work. I usually create about five different color versions to experiment with, then bring those back into Photoshop. From there, I blend sections together, playing with contrast and tone until everything feels complete.

A glowing orange outline of a diamond shape on a black background.

When the art is done, I write the description. I start with a draft, then refine it until it fits the piece perfectly. I love weaving in metaphors and hints of hidden meaning. Writing usually takes a full day, but it feels worth it when the story and image finally connect.

Outline of a vintage typewriter in neon style on a black background.