Don Louis Perceval

Don Louis Perceval (8 January 1908 – 17 August 1979) was a British artist and illustrator. Having spent much of his childhood in Southern California, he was fascinated by the American Southwest and the art, history and culture of the Hopi and Navajo peoples. He also served in the British Navy during World War II and later taught art in California. Over his career, he was well respected for his carefully researched and detailed illustrations.

Early life Born in Woodford (now in London, then in Essex), His family's relocation to Hollywood, California in 1920 He studied art at the Pasadena Military Academy and later the Chouinard Art Institute (California Institute of the Arts), learning under renowned artists Nelbert Chouinard and F.T. Chamberlain. By age 19, Perceval had already earned his first commission as an illustrator (Harry James, The Treasure of the Hopitu). After the war, Perceval returned to California, where he accepted teaching positions with the Chouinard Art Institute, the Trailfinder School for Boys Perceval's passion for the Southwest led him to live with the Hopi in 1952 and in Tucson, Arizona from 1954 to 1959. Perceval's ongoing commitment to historical accuracy further enhanced his reputation as a sought-after illustrator. "To be of value," he wrote, "illustrations must be historically accurate; otherwise periods tend to merge into a conglomerate mass, thereby defeating the entire purpose of history teaching." Perceval illustrated numerous books including Charles Loomis' General Crook and the Apache Wars (1966), Leo Carrillo's The California I Love (1962) and his own A Navajo Sketchbook (1962). Perceval also wrote extensively about cattle and horse brands, viewing brands as a unique art form and tracing their origins back to ancient times. He also spent time in his later years visiting Tucson and indulging his love for the Southwest. Don Louis Perceval died in 1979, survived by his wife Edith and daughter Donna.